Summer vacations are always associated with outside games. Things have changed, or rather changing.
Child’s play
MUMBAI: Summer vacations are always associated with outside games. Things have changed, or rather changing.
Children in Thane are hooked to cyber games at Internet parlours during the long-holiday season. Cashing in on them are cyber cafes, which are organising back-to-back cyber game tournaments.
“We have been organising tournaments for the last six weeks and response has been overwhelming,” said Ayaz Shaikh, owner of Fifth Element, game parlour in Thane. He said the tournaments are held on the guidelines laid by the World Cyber Gaming Federation (WCGF).
Though parents are not happy with the decision, they have limited options.
“We extended our Ooty trip by a week so that our children can be away from the cyber games. But at home, they do not have many options to play,” said Garima Saxena, a parent.
Another parent Rakshit Gomes says he drags his son to the Dadoji Kondev stadium in Thane every weekend for his child’s physical exercise.
“That is the maximum I can do for the physical fitness of my child,’’ he says.
He adds, “Lack of open spaces has tied this generation in cubicles.”
Several such tournaments had to be cancelled as load-sheddings were increased by two hours.
Subsequently, school examinations were re-scheduled. In the process game parlours incurred major losses.
“Change in the examination schedule forced us to change our plans. We had to return the advances collected from sponsors,” said Shaikh.
Public play parks have limited playing opportunity for kids.
“The parks are too small. We cannot play cricket and football in parks,” said Kunal Gawde, another parent.
Several housing societies have passed resolutions to stop kids from playing outdoor games on the complex premises.
“Kids playing cricket in the building have shattered window panes.
“Members took strong objections to this and a resolution was passed in the general body meeting against children playing outdoor games at the complex,” said Kamlesh Prajapati, a member of the Kalpataru Society in Dombivli.
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