Guest post: Decathlon, a Disneyland for sports fanatics

I was told about Decathlon by a friend, a major sports enthusiast, about a year ago. He had come back completely impressed by the store. But honestly, I had no intention of taking the effort to go all the way to Thane to check it out. 

Besides, I was only into running at that time. For someone like me whose focus is merely to complete one marathon per year, my needs were basic so I really had no desire to invest that much time.

But it seems like it was destined. I graduated (rather lazily) to an Oxfam 100-km trail walk in Lonavala. So now, my needs for a trail walk were anything but basic. 

I needed equipment to help me through this arduous trail. That’s when another friend, who is also into sports, suggested I make a little trip to Decathlon. 

I had heard that this store was massive. But that had not prepared me for what i was about to witness.

Some stuff that I bought

This mega-store is overwhelming! I was simply awestruck and frankly a little lost. Is this in India and that too in Mumbai? It has dedicated lanes for each sport: from cycling and running to hiking, swimming and yoga. It even has a lane for mountaineering!  

The store pampered me with the number of options under every category. So I decided to take some guidance from the Decathlon staff. 

I have shopped across brands but never have I come across staff that is so well-informed about their products. In fact, the most impressive part was that they were sportspeople themselves. They looked the part too. They even had MacBooks that provided information on the inventory. So cool.

I tried my best not to go overboard. But I still managed to shop till I dropped. A fortune. I bought trekking shoes, yoga pants, LED torch, T-shirts, hiking bag and a trekking stick - all for Rs 7,000 in three hours flat. 

But no regrets though. Decathlon is THE destination for sports and my go-to for all my sporting needs. Psst... I hear their sales are awesome and totally worth it!

If you can't afford to travel to Thane, you can find Decathlon resellers in Mumbai for your convenience. Check the list here.

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This post was contributed by my friend Anjali Talreja, who is my go-to for anything regarding Bandra. If you wish to join her on the 100-km Oxfam walking trail or simply need help getting around in Bandra, you can contact her at talreja.anjali@gmail.com. She is a consultant in the financial domain and can also be spotted moonlighting as a financial wizard in academic circles.