Hyderabad: It’s past midnight and as the city sleeps, an amateur clubroom at Purani Haveli is teeming with excitement.
The lights inside are dim, but the TV and computer screens are aglitter as several teenagers feverishly try to knock out their opponents in video games of Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Wrestling Entertainment.
The fights often do not stop in the virtual world, but extend to reality. The fervour only ends when the sun rises, only to restart in the evening.
There are several such hangouts for teenagers in the city — clubs, snooker parlours, Internet cafes and others. Hundreds of teenagers in areas of Mughalpura, Purani Haveli, Hussaini Alam and Mir Chowk are crazy fans of UFC and WWE. And outside the virtual world, if someone wants to be respected by their peers, he has to be good at two things, hand-to-hand combat and bike stunts.
“Bike stunts and hand-to-hand combats are very common among the youngsters here. The best way to dominate in teen groups is by knocking out pals and doing crazy bike stunts like stoppies and wheelies,” said Mr Mohammed Akram from Mughalpura, a PhD student of IGNOU, who is doing his research on social issues.
The craving for physical superiority among teens starts from high school and Intermediate colleges. They visit gyms to bulk up and learn martial arts. They also pester their parents for high-end bikes even before they get driving licenses.
At Gandipet, locals and morning walkers hear youngsters hooting, bike engines and tires skidding after 5 am on almost every Sunday. The rogue bikers drive in fast and do crazy stunts like wheelies and stoppies while others cheer them on. The menace here continues as more and more youngsters, mostly students, engage in dangerous bike stunts regularly.
The teenagers also form gangs with special names, and compete with rival gangs in stunts and fights to decide which gang is superior.
