Strangers to friends: Bond over sports this weekend

"I don’t think there’s anyone in my club I’m not friends with,” says 83-year-old Avinash Sahai, who picked up swimming late in life and stayed for the conversations. Across the city, strangers are turning into teammates as sports is making people connect.

Office-goers are finding kinship over turf football and students are swapping cafés for cricket. From dartboards to dawn runs, Kolkata is discovering that the win lies in the forming friendships along the way.I learned swimming in 20 days and met some amazing people through shared interests. Schools should teach the art of conversation – it’s how bonds are formed– Avinash Sahai, retired engineer

More than just a jogWhen Amorto Das began running, it was a solo pursuit.

But between laps at Rabindra Sarobar and Zumba warmups, he found community. “We thought maybe 20 people would show up,” he laughs. “At the first event, 350 did.”Now, every weekend at 6.30 am, 100–150 people gather to run and bond over coffee. “There’s no pressure, no podium talk,” says Amorto. “You run, then chat with someone new.”Runner Sreyas Agarwal adds, “It never feels like you’re meeting a stranger after sharing an activity.

The friendships that grow over post-run coffee are what keep us coming back.”Sports in Kolkata is more than competition – it’s about building a community, connection, and sharing a love for the game. That’s what keeps us going– Shatadru Lawrence Dutt, sports instructor

Game on, bonds strong“Football gave me a friend for life,” says Ryan Sengupta, recalling how a shared love for the game sparked an unlikely friendship. It’s the kind of bond Shatadru hoped for when he set up one of the city’s first artificial turf pitches in 2018.Among the 200+ women now part of the community is 43-year-old Aliya Ahmed Shah. “For a year and a half, I just stood on the sidelines,” she says. “Then one day, my daughter nudged me to join in.” Now, she plays alongside her children and has found more than fitness: “I’ve made actual friends –not just mom friends.”

Darts and the art of friendshipJacqueline Sharon Khanna didn’t expect to become a state-level darts player. “Darts changed everything,” she says, especially the friendships she’s made.

“I joined my club’s cricket team and bonded with women I’d never spoken to before. Sports just brought us together.” She also plays football, cricket and badminton. For teacher Ujaan Roy, darts started as a way to sharpen his math but grew into a way to connect. “In Kolkata, darts is a conversation over a board,” he explains.

“You start playing, and soon you’re talking about life. It’s the banter and cheers that build real friendships.” For both, darts is more than a sport – it’s a social lifeline.Sports in Kolkata is more than competition – it’s about building a community, connection, and sharing a love for the game. That’s what keeps us going– Shatadru Lawrence Dutt, sports instructorOther games that connect