On sportsmanship
Good sportsmanship is being able to respect the sport itself and of course all aspects of it. You will see a player standing tall even after defeated; and he/she will respect the opponent player. Good sportsmanship is the most imperative aspect of a game. When games get heated, intense, frenzied and personal it is so difficult to keep calm, but a systematic sportsman do it. A good sportsman must be learned in order to be skillful in sticky situations. Good sportsmen are motivated from within. They don’t need cheering from external sources. They play the sport because they are passionate about it. Muhammad Ali – the world-famous Heavy-weight Champion Boxer said “Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, and a vision.”
Talent and hard work both are important part of sports. We have all heard from our childhood that hard work is the key to success. But let’s not forget that research on the topic has found that the “profoundly gifted” people still have an edge over peers who have less natural talent but are perhaps more dedicated to improving their skills. Recently, New York Times published an article stating that all else being equal; those with inborn talent especially in terms of intelligence tend to do better in life. Yes good sportsmen are intelligent.
It’s sad but when corruption and greed sets in the sport it shows unfit behavior of the athletes. The football community and cricket community is faced with significant number of match-fixing allegations. When athletes go “beyond the game,” they lose respect from the viewers. And, when sportsmen lose integrity they lose the whole lot. Some sportsmen are caught gambling and in drugs to thrive, these forces are nibbling away their public image. Respect of sports is slowly fading in the society because of some black sheep and this is perhaps the greatest threat to the continuing commercial success of professional sport. The problems pine away in the background of sport and struggle to receive the attention and willingness of sports administrators to eliminate them. A culture of fame and admiration, combined with profits and wealth, seems to matter above all else, particularly in professional sport. Erosion of the integrity of sports will eventually claim the jobs of the sportsmen who ignore this phenomenon.
Fair play consists of respect, friendship, team spirit, fair competition, sport without doping, respect for written and tacit rules such as equality, integrity, solidarity, tolerance, care, fineness and happiness. These are the building blocks of fair play that can be experienced and learnt both on and off the field.
Sports are the best tool to promote non-sport goals such as progress, peace, human rights and social justice. We should teach our children sportsmanship; besides playing a good game, they should be coached to play to win, but at all times honestly and fairly. Compete as athletes; win by using superior skills, fitness, and intelligence. Triumph but with all fairness; and that’s the essence of sportsmanship.
