A Birdie In The Handby Jeff Kagan
Shuttlecock. No, it isn’t a term to describe a sex act in outer space, but rather, it’s the small, feathered object used in the game of badminton. The shuttlecock, also called a “birdie” is smacked back and forth by racquet-wielding opponents, each hoping the other misses the birdie, as it falls, lifelessly to the Earth. Badminton has been an Olympic sport since 1992, although it was first introduced in the mid-18th century in British-occupied India as a pastime while trying to avoid getting Cholera.
Suman Chakraborty started
playing at the age of seven in a suburb of Montreal, Canada, where he was
raised. He and his classmates would attend Sunday school at the local junior
college where they learned to speak in the family’s native tongue, Bengali.
While the kids were in school, their parents would pass the time playing
badminton. As classes ended, the kids came out to join their parents on the
court. Suman recalls, “It was part of my childhood for as long as I can
remember, and one I cherished. My friends and I spent our formative years
trying to get good enough to beat our parents. I do remember the amazing
feeling I had the first time I beat my father on the court; it was like I had
finally grown up.”
And having grown up, Suman
moved to New Jersey to attend college, and then eventually settled in New York
City. But sadly, the badminton birdie was no longer in his life. He carried on.
Some years later, he joined the local gay basketball league to expand his
social circle. But after only one season, he had the opportunity to go abroad,
to London. “When I first arrived in London, I didn’t know a single person. I
had been playing in the NYC Gay Basketball League before my move and met some
great people. I figured joining a sports team was a good was to make new
friends in my new city.” Upon searching for a group, Suman was pleasantly
surprised to learn that there are four
gay badminton clubs in London. He
immediately contacted one called Goslings and within four days of landing in
London, he bought a cheap racquet and headed to his first session.
Being on the badminton court
always brings back wonderful memories. He says, “Every time I get on the court,
I feel like I’m going back to a place where I’m comfortable. I always think
about my days as a kid playing with my dad; I think about my days as a teenager
playing for my high school.”
After a year in London, Suman
returned to New York, wanting his life to include the friendships and fun that
Goslings of London brought him. He
didn’t have an inkling of how to find others who were interested in badminton,
but he tried some unconventional methods. He sheepishly says, “I’ll admit that
in my profile on a certain iPhone app (which
shall remain nameless), I suggested that anyone who played badminton should
contact me.” That didn’t turn out
to be a great source of leads (for badminton, anyway). But after setting up a page on
Meetup.com, things started to roll, and the organization mailing list grew from
a handful of “smashers” to 175 potential players, which helped Suman to
successfully launch New York’s first gay badminton club. And as an homage to
the group which inspired him, he named the club Goslings NYC.
Suman hopes that the people who
come to play will see Goslings NYC as a community within the gay social scene
-- a place where they can make new friends in a positive environment to share
in the enjoyment of the game that he holds in his heart. Suman has many plans
for the group, including participation in the Gay Games in Cleveland in 2014.
He smirks and says, “And if I ever get my American friends to stop giggling
like a schoolgirl whenever they hear the word ‘shuttlecock’, I’ll consider that
a major accomplishment too.”
Learn more about Goslings NYC at www.meetup.com/GoslingsNYC.
