Manzoor Dar Reveals the Hardships he Faced as a Kid

25-year old Jammu and Kashmir batsman, Manzoor Dar who was roped in by the Kings XI Punjab for the 2018 IPL season revealed several secrets about his life during his article which featured in the Kings XI Punjab official website.

Manzoor revealed the hardships he went through when he was a kid. He also spoke at length about Ramzan, which is considered an auspicious occasion for any Muslim.

He further revealed his family was financially very week when he was growing up. Manzoor being a cricketer was unable to contribute to the family initially.

He further revealed about a time when he would worry about Ramazan. It is solely because there is a tradition among Muslims to present gift to their loved ones. However, the Dar family didn’t always have enough resources to afford the same.

“Ramzan is a time that is very close to my heart. It is a time that reminds us that making the lives of those around us better is what gives a person true happiness. While I have a number of stories related to Ramazan and the festival of Eid, there is one which I don’t think I will ever forget in my entire life.

When I was young, my family was financially weak. We had to struggle to make ends meet many times, and since I was playing cricket and was not able to contribute to the family financially, it used to be very difficult for me.

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“We Muslims have a tradition where we have to give “Eidi” (a gift that is usually given to youngsters by elder relatives and family friends) to the young members of our family and neighbourhood. So, a number of children used to come home to take Eidi,” Manzoor said.

He further said it was more of a tradition and however, minimal the amount was, it was one of the best feelings in the world.

“No matter however minimal the amount was, be it even ₹5 or ₹10, they used to feel like they’re being gifted the best thing in the world! However, it was a bit embarrassing for me because when children came expecting Eidi, I was not able to send them back satisfactorily.

I, being the eldest among my siblings, had to look after my siblings’ Eidi as well. So I remember I always used to be worried about this whenever Eid was approaching. Ever since I grew up, I have always worried about this.” Dar stated that he never thought about himself on the occasion of Ramazan. “I never thought about myself during Ramazan; I never had enough time to even think for myself. But making sure that the spirit of the season is alive among the youngsters was very important to me,” he said.

Manzoor is the same person by heart 

Cricket has given a living to Manzoor Dar. However, he is still the same person who welcomes everyone with an open heart. He believes helping another person in a situation of need is happiness.

“Now that I am doing well for myself and I have a fair amount of success things have changed a lot. Everyone from the region is very proud of me and even those people who might never even have seen me have started coming home.

But I don’t think I have changed at all. I still welcome everyone with a happy heart. After all, I believe that true happiness lies in helping others when we are in a position to. It is only through people’s blessings that I have reached here,” he added.

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