New Delhi, July 4 -- As a Gen X Indian citizen who grew up in India in the 1990s, my entire life was decided for me by my parents, whom in turn were influenced by their "society." It was school, engineering entrance exam, an engineering degree, a job and then "settle down" with a family. At no point in my formative year was pursuit of sports a possible career option for me or my friends.

Somewhere along the way, I dropped off the tried-and-tested path laid out for me, didn't enroll in an engineering college and somehow stumbled into recreational sports just before I turned 30. Now, in my mid-40s, friends see me as a pro athlete because I play multiple sports, run long distances, work out and lack the tell-tale sign of our generation-an a...