Champions have a different mindset. One thing that makes them different from others is their ability to raise their game to highest performance when situations demand it from them. Let us look at some the highlights of a champion’s mindset.
First of all, champions don’t think defeat.
They are realistic with who their competition is. But they don’t allow that to intimidate them. Often the best opponent and the toughest teams bring out the best in them and help them bring out their best performance.
Secondly, champions enjoy their game.
They workout, toil, and spend long hours in practice. All these are tolling on the mind and body. But they persevere because they enjoy what they do. Even when they sleep they dream of enjoying their game. This undoubtedly makes them raise their game to highest performance while on the field.
Thirdly, champions don’t give up till the very last.
They have the ability to bounce back from early setbacks if it happens. They keep cool under pressure. They anticipate in hope till they catch the opponent relaxing for perhaps a split second and turn the tables around. Often champions show their true colors by unbelievable comebacks especially during final moments of a game. This is performance at its very best.
Fourthly, champions treat victories differently.
They are happy; but they are dissatisfied with even their best performance. Always, they strive to find what they could do better next time. No champion relaxes on reaching a summit. They treat it as history and focus sharply on the next game coming up. Looking forward is one way champions raise the level of their game to highest performance.
Finally, champions sense it when their fans, the situation, and the watching world is expecting them to perform.
They adapt to even hostile situations and deliver under pressure. Perhaps this one distinguishes a champion from others. They raise the level of their game to highest performance when all is against them.
To conclude, you too can be a champion if you strive to win, have that killer instinct, and a never give up hope-filled attitude until you win.
Independence is a popular word. But what is true independence? Let us look at some examples.
First of all, let us look at a child flying a kite.The kite flies with great freedom as it rises up high. We get joy watching it. But its flight is not independent. It is controlled and guided by the hand of the child with the string attatched to the kite. What if the kite snaps the thread and breaks free? Its independence ends in misery.
Secondly, let us look at games like football, basketball, cricket, tennis, hockey, and the like. All these games have boundaries, rules, and umpires or referees. The game goes on because it is played within boundaries and according to predefined rules. When played according to them, there is freedom for all players. If violated, then for example, a red or yellow card will be shown in the case of a football match. So freedom is experienced within boundaries and rules.
Thirdly, let us look at children disobeying parents, teachers, and sometimes the law of the land. This is not independence. This is rebellion. And it does not give freedom but puts children into bondage to bad habits and attitudes. Therefore freedom and independence comes through love,respect, and obedience.
Let me end my reminding the words from Rabindranath Tagore’s words:
“The fire restrained in the tree
Fashions flowers;
Released from bonds it dies in ashes.”
At the World Athletic Championships Oregon 2022, the mascot, Legend the Bigfoot, photo bombed Sydney McLaughlin while holding a sign saying: “World records are my favorite food.” She had won with an incredible time of 50.68 seconds in the 400 metres hurdles which people have compared to the legendary Usain Bolt’s World record of 9.58 in the 100 metres. McLaughlin had earlier said during her Tokyo record-breaking olympic win in 2021 that: “What I have in Christ is far greater than what I have or don’t have in life.”
Having said that let me just sketch how records are born.
Records as favourite food don’t happen without hard work, sacrificing a lot, avoiding distractions,a coach’s help, and training till you think you can do no further.
Records as favourite food do happen when you focus on giving your best, aspiring to better your performance, and looking forward with eagerness to face the fiercest competitors you have in the field.
Records come and go, and you create a legacy by breaking records and making new ones. But when you see them in the perspective of eternity; such glories are for the moment and they will fade away with time. There are things that matter most and that is what Sydney McLaughline referred to; having a personal relationship with Jesus and knowing him as Saviour and Lord.
It makes sense when one sees life as a race and your goal is to finish well. For that matter, how many world record holders do you remember from former years? Very few; is it not? That’s all about earthly fame and glory. But earning praise from God at the end of your life’s race is to get a crown that will not perish, spoil or fade. So do not run aimlessly, but run so as to win the prize.
Featured image courtesy: Athletic Federation of India Tweet
Read also on Sydney’s struggles with fame and her triumph through her faith in God in this article in the Indian Express: Sydney McLaughlin and the Toxicity of Fame
Tailpiece: When 400m hurdles for the first time was introduced in the Olympics at Los Angeles in 1984, the Malayali P. T. Usha from Kerala, India, known also as the “Payyoli Express,” lost the bronze medal by 1/100th of a second. It was a race which all Indians remember for that heart-break. In that race the runner who came first was Nawal El Moutawakel from Morocco and she had won gold after clocking 55.42 in that race. 38 years later Sydney McLaughlin’s time is 4.74 seconds better.
Is entertainment the religion of the 21st century Masses? Oh, yes! Everywhere people line up to be entertained. Be it sports, films, music bands, reality shows, politics, gaming, or even religious meetings, people love to be entertained.
No wonder people are fans of those who not only perform but also entertain. Without realising it, there is a kind of worship of heroes and heroines in all genres of popular entertainment. Therefore entertainment is a religion in itself.
These icons or celebrities of entertainment help sell tickets, build brands, promote causes, and influence popular opinion. They are active on social media too.
In fact, life for the masses revolve around their admiration for heroes and heroines. What is reflected here is a search for meaning, for belonging, and for role models. Not to mention social acceptance and a sense of identity. The religion of entertainment promises all those and delivers too.
But does it fall short of expectations? What might be missing in this pursuit of happiness is life on a higher plane. Entertainment can never satisfy beyond its immediate gratification. What then follows is a vacuum, an emptiness, a sense of craving and addiction for more entertainment.
Therefore entertainment cannot be an end in itself. Rightly viewed, it is a kind of substitution of deep longings to find meaning in life. For riches, fame, power, and success have not given men or women lasting satisfaction, ever! Neither has entertainment of any sort even if it be the best the world can offer!
So, what can possibly quench the thirst for entertainment. Perhaps one should ask, can God? If your thirst is real, then he can meet it with rivers of living water that will ultimately satisfy! But will the lights and music and cheer groups and the glitz and the glamour of entertainment—the religion of the 21st century masses—stop you from seeking further?
Another important element about sports and games is that it helps children to have a healthy competitive spirit. They learn to succeed as well as fail without losing heart; thus learning sportsmanship.
Then there is the benefit of developing teamwork. In a world where team playing abilities play a crucial role in determining success in one’s career, having a background of sports and games will be an asset.
Perhaps a lesser known benefit of playing sports and games is that children learn discipline. They learn to play according to the rules. Also, they learn that all sports and games have a playing field where the game happens within predefined boundaries.
Again, playing sports and games enable children to respect authority. Each of the sports and games has a referee or umpire who decide on all the important matters related to the play. No matter how great a player is individually, he or she has to obey those decisions.
To conclude, every child should explore the possibilities of sports and games. They are fun and they are healthy. They make one’s childhood and teen years colourful and memorable.
You might be the fastest sprinter in the world. Yet you won’t think of or ever imagine to run a 100 metres sprint at the Olympics or World Athletic championship finals with bricks on your head; will you?
But the sad thing is that in real life you are probably attempting to run life’s race and rush ahead with many bricks on your head. And what are these bricks? They are dead weights that slow down your progress.
And what are these dead weights?
The first one is definitely the baggage of your past. Your past might be full of mistakes you made and plenty of regrets you have. But they are to be left behind. Let the lessons you learned from them remain. Let those teach you humility. But never entertain the past and its baggage with the same dignity given to a foreign head of state paying an official visit to the country. So, leave your past behind.
The third dead weight you carry is, worries of this life. Each day the news is getting bad and worse. There is not one day without some kind of negativity being heard. In spite of all the entertainment going on, bad news still makes its rounds. And you are worried. Especially about what the future is going to be. The only antidote to worry is trust in God.
Now what can you do about these three: baggage from your past, negative habits from your present and worries about your future?
So many runners in the Olympics in its earliest form ran to win a wreath or a laurel that faded away. But God rewards for an eternity with a crown that does not perish, spoil or fade away. So be careful how you run life’s race. Run so as to win the prize. There is going to be rewards and joy at the end of the race if you do away with the bricks you are carrying today.
“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”
Cricket World Cup 2011 will showcase some of the great talents of cricket. Not only is it going to be great entertainment it will also witness joy and agony, elation and tears, at the drama of quickly changing fortunes. It is not only about dreams come true but also about rains that steal victory from the deserving. Cricket World Cup, again, is not only about yelling crowds and great expectations; but it also about great wins, closely-fought contests, and unexpected defeats as well. In that sense, the game of cricket is close to life. It is this exciting aspect of how cricket is closely knit to the game of life that I would love to explore in today’s talk, Life Lessons from Cricket.
Cricket is a beautiful game. It not only entertains but educates as well. To a keen observer of the game, cricket teaches motivational secrets that can bring success in life. The basic lesson is that life is a game. It has laws and boundaries. We have to abide by the laws and play according to it. Yet winning remains a great art. Not all players win all the time. But then winning alone is not what matters most; but how one plays the game.
Therefore the question is with what attitude do you approach life? Is it with a negative approach which despairs even before the first ball is bowled? Again, do you approach life with a pessimistic attitude saying that the opposition is strong and their total is big and I will not be able to get there? Or do you believe in your God-given abilities, and try to give it your best shot with a positive never-say-die attitude? Remember, it is the same ball that can take your wicket or that can be hit for a six. Remember that life is short and what is important is to play the game with hope. As King Solomon rightly pointed out; “Anyone who is among the living has hope-even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!”
With that in mind let us look at some life lessons from the game of cricket.
First of all, cricket teaches us that mistakes are common in life. I have often wondered the reason why bowlers are motivated to keep on bowling even when the batsmen are hitting them for boundaries and sixes? The simple reason is that they bowl in the hope that the batsmen will soon commit a mistake. We as viewers of the game are either delighted with the opposition’s mistakes or made sad by our team’s mistakes.
But the game goes on. That is perhaps the highlight. We have seen great batsmen get out for a duck or get run-out. We also have seen great bowlers being hit for many boundaries in an over. All this is part of the game. So let us face the fact that mistakes are common in life. The key to success is not to lose heart when a mistake happens. Instead learn from it; make your skills sharper and try again with renewed spirit the next time. And always be alert to the possibility of mistakes.
Secondly, cricket teaches us that each individual is unique and important even in a team. One big difference between cricket and football and many other team games as well is that in cricket there is greater scope for individual brilliance. In the past there were all-rounders or match-winners who could change the game in their team’s favour very quickly. Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Richard Hadlee, Ian Botham, were all consistent players who could change a game with bat or ball. And there were players who epitomized the joy of fielding like Jonty Rhodes who could turn the tide by his brilliant fielding alone. In modern cricket, such players are called game-changers.
What makes a player a game-changer? A player who knows his role well; one who knows what is expected of him at any given moment in the game and does exceeding well in bringing his role to perfection is one who is a game-changer. Sachin Tendulkar, who has won the most number of Man of the Match awards in One day Internationals is a classic example. What is the lesson for you? Many young people think that they are not good enough. This is a mistaken thought. You are created unique. Celebrate your uniqueness and find out your role in life and then be the best in that role. Success will then coming knocking at your doorsteps.
Thirdly, cricket teaches us that success comes to those who enjoy the game. If you take a good look at the great names of world cricket, you’ll find that those names that are not forgotten by generations are those of cricketers who played with passion on their sleeves. To them, cricket was not a means of livelihood or brand promotion. Instead they loved the game, dedicated themselves to be masters of it and did hard work to bring their skills to perfection.
They took to the field with sincerity of purpose, were focussed and sweated it out. But above all, they delighted in the opportunity to play for their national team. They took pride in it. Such players have left behind a lasting legacy. The secret is to enjoy playing the game. Likewise in life too we need to learn to enjoy the work we do. Then success will come naturally. To quote the wise King Solomon once again: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.” Let us also remember the words of Sachin Tendulkar: “Statistics could be a form of reflection of what a player has contributed but for me it is about enjoyment and not statistics”
A few more points related to Life Lessons from Cricket needed to be noted as well. Cricket teaches us that life needs planning. The way a batsman paces an innings well is a sign of his class as well as the fact that he calculates his moment of acceleration with precision. In test cricket a batsman gets ample time to get used to the wicket and the bowling and then start scoring at leisure. But in the limited overs game things are a bit different. Here the batsman’s ability to adapt quickly to the given situation is what makes him a valued player. From the bowler’s point of view, test cricket is a test of one’s endurance while the limited overs game is a question about how quickly he can get wickets or contain the batsman.
All this requires great planning and preparation which includes studying the opposition. Each individual player’s strengths and weakness has to be analysed to have a great game plan. Likewise in life too there should be real planning. Nothing should be left to chance. To quote King Solomon again, “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” So plan well. Have confidence in your gifts and talents. Play each ball with the merit it deserves. Treat your opposition with respect. Play according to your game plan and be sure to have a back-up plan if your original planning fails.
The next thought is that cricket teaches us that success in cricket as well as in life is a matter of perseverance. All great players have had their moments of failure. Usually with bad performances in consecutive matches, the media goes to attack the player even if his past records speak for itself. This is especially true with the Indian Media and the pressure of critics is very difficult to handle. Sometimes former players pitch in with harsh and unjust criticism. But great batsmen let their bats do the talking taking failures in their stride. Likewise, great bowlers come back with crucial wicket-taking performances.
Note that all such great players have something in common. They’re winners and they have the passion to win. They never quit. Criticism only fuels their resolve to do their best. We need to remember this quote now long associated with cricket: “Form is temporary; class is permanent.” The life lesson is that you need to weather stormy seasons and endure lean patches in life. You need to always hold on and never quit.
Remember the words of Sir Winston Churchill who said, “Never! Never! Never! Never! give up.” Do not consider a game over till the last ball is bowled for as Napolean Bonaparte said, “Victory belongs to the most persevering.” Do not blame circumstances; one has to learn be a good player in fast wickets and slow-turning pitches at home as well as abroad. Learn to play the game of life with great sportsmanship.
Above all else, cricket teaches us that life is about entertainment. The goal of each player is to do well so as to entertain the audience. How is this done? Through a variety of ways. There is nothing more fascinating to watch than a pace bowler bowling great line and length and have the batsman in a mesmerized hold. There is a kind of rhyme and rhythm to the long run up to the crease and completed by a graceful follow through.
A spinner on the other hand often tricks a batsman by his flight and varied pace and turn. Or is there anything more lovely than an exciting cover drive, or a straight drive which gives no chance to any fielder, or a lofted six over long off or long on?
What about a batsman dancing down the wicket to do so. What about the poetry of a hook shot to a bouncer or the brute force of a pull shot that races to the ropes like lightning. Words fail me to say about the drama of run-outs, stumpings, quick-reflex catches in the slips and forward short-leg, dramatic stops at the boundary line; so on and so forth.
The quick running between wickets, the raised bat as a batsman reaches a milestone, a bowler’s elation at the sound of the cricket ball hitting the stumps; the running in of players to the centre to crowd around and celebrate; what fantastic entertainment is this!
Young friends, life is not just about existence. Instead it is about living life to the fullest. It is about utilizing your fullest potential not just to achieve fame or fortune but more to inspire others to do well. This is a great privilege and responsibility. You can inspire others by your great performances. As Helen Keller, who inspired many by her triumph over great odds in life, once wrote , “When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.”
That is what exactly happened in the 1983 World Cup with Kapil Dev’s unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe. It was nothing short of a miracle as when he came in to bat India were 17 for the loss of 5 wickets. Kapil recently said this about that great knock: “I was too young at that time to understand the emotions. Now after so many years, the achievement has finally sunk in and I realize it was a truly great one. God creates a day for sportspeople and that day was mine.”
Finally, cricket teaches us the art of finishing well. Often in the game we find teams starting off well while batting. When everything seems to be going great and commentators start projecting big final scores there is a sudden middle-order collapse which is soon followed by some bowler finishing off the tail.
Though not every match goes according to this script, it is vitally important to note that many teams fail to follow through the good work they do at the beginning of an innings. This can be due to overconfidence, concentration loss, allowing pressure of the situation to get the better of one’s nerves, carelessness or sometimes poor decision-making. Whatever it be, the team that wins is one that has one or two players who are great finishers.
Finishing well is definitely a great art. For example, during the golden days of West Indian Cricket, there was a kind of habit with the West Indian batsmen to finish off every game with a six. Likewise each one of us should determine early in life to finish well. Otherwise you’ll be rattled at the crossroads of life when life takes unexpected twists and turns. Sadly very few cricket players have ended the long innings of their career on a high note. Others waited to be dropped from the team before announcing retirement. But a few like Steve Waugh and Muttiah Muralitharan finished their test careers in blazing glory as if it were a fairy tale ending.
Let me sum up the main highlights once again:
Cricket is a beautiful game. It not only entertains but educates as well. Cricket teaches us that mistakes are common in life. It teaches us that each individual is unique and important even in a team and that success belongs to those who enjoy the game best. Further, cricket teaches us that life needs planning and preparation and shows us that perseverance is the key to leave a lasting legacy behind. Above all, cricket teaches us that life is about entertainment meaning that life is to be lived out to its fullest God-given potential so that you’ll inspire others with your performances. Beyond all this cricket teaches us the art of finishing well in life. To conclude, great cricket legends never die; they just fade away!
Olympics is one of the finest expressions of man’s passion to excel, dominate and win. On the other side, the agony and the pain of defeat after having come so close is the stuff that the legend of the Olympics is made of. In this speech today, I would like to highlight perseverance as the key to the Olympic glory.
Failing is one thing; but failing without a true fight is something else. Do we lose the battle even before the game begins? Are victories made in the playing arena or is it worked out in one’s mind already? These are questions worthy of our highest consideration.
Under-achievers try desperately to find short cuts to avoid preparing for performance. But honest hard work is the only way in which preparation can be done. If you can do the unglamorous work of preparation in the shadows; then when the spotlights will focus on you, they’ll see the emergence of a champion like gold coming out purified in the fire!
Dear friends, there is no substitute, I say again, no substitute for “blood, toil, tears and sweat.” The Olympic glory is not a product of rocking away in easy chairs; but is the reward of those whose “faces are marred by dust and sweat and blood,” today.
So many have said this many times, but I am saying it again: “Rome was not built in a day.” Everybody says it feels great to win an Olympic gold. But how long have you to be at it to win? How many heartaches have you to endure?
With what courage will you bounce back from defeats? Will your enthusiasm hold good when all that you built up over the years crumble down into rubble and dust?
Keeping on going for medal gold even when you’re crushed in spirit, even when medal gold seems unattainable, even when detractors say that it is not possible to achieve, is the secret of winning! In one word, perseverance is the key!
Victories in life are not permanent. We find the Olympics throw up new champions every four years. We find the glory of the past achievers pale into insignificance with the arrival of new ones.
So what is the relevance of the Olympic glory? It should teach you and me that life’s most coveted moments might not perhaps be in the victory stands. The lasting legacy might not be the medal you won but the sterling example you leave behind of “how you played the game!”
Dear friends, the Olympic glory is not for the man who is chasing a few nice rabbits here and there when he is hunting a prized lion. He has to keep track of his one goal. He has to keep his eyes focussed. He should see nothing but his victory. He should be able to say No to passions of life and distractions that all others indulge in.
Life continues. The Olympic torch in its journey across oceans and continents represents this continuity. It tells us that a message is being passed on. of a positive message of excellence to the next generation.
Will the next generation remember you as one who fought well; no matter whether you won or lost? Let me conclude in the words of Napoleon Bonaparte, “Victory belongs to the most persevering!”
You cannot make it big if you fool around with time. I agree that coming for your training sessions does not excite you the way the real game does. But that is no excuse for you to come late.
When you come late you are showing disrespect to others. You are showing that you don’t care for leadership and authority.
When you come late you are disrupting carefully laid out plans. Now what does that mean?
Think about it: Whether plans just happen or plans have to be well thought out? And that takes time, invaluable time.
When you come late, you are telling us you are somehow bigger than the team. You are showing us that you can afford to keep all of us waiting.
Taken together how many hours of all of us you wasted when you came 20 minutes late?
That is why I am asking you to give your best each time you are out here for the practice sessions.
But that alone is not the purpose. There is a higher one that should motivate you. You are here to be a good player who learns to be disciplined.
Without strict discipline none of you will make it big in real life. You might win championships and lose in life. Will that not be disastrous? Think about it.
So today I demand that you come on time. It is a commitment that you should make. If you think you are above all this; the team will do better without you.
You should learn to be proud about the jersey you wear, the cap you don, and the team you represent. You say, “I don’t care about any of these things,” when you come late for our training sessions.
Today I am cancelling all practice sessions for the next one week! You know what that means?
It means that the majority of players suffer because a few of you came late. “Isn’t that unjust Coach,” you might ask?
Yes, it is unjust. But that is the only way I see to make you understand the value of time and discipline. That is the only way I see to drill some character into you!
And next Monday sharp 5:00pm we meet for training. If anyone is late by one minute, you don’t play with this team again. Is that clear?
Short Speeches of Introduction, Welcome, Felicitation, Vote of Thanks!
“You’ve got to have great athletes to win, I don’t care who the coach is. You can’t win without good athletes but you can lose with them. This is where coaching makes the difference.”
I talk to you today because I’ve been there.
Not once or twice, but many times.
I know what it feels like to be discouraged.
I know what it feels like being a failure.
I know what it feels like when all around you people are full of fun and happiness but you are down.
Yes friends, discouragement has put more people in the side benches than have casualties in war.
It has sapped the strength of talented people committed to their cause and calling.
It has taken away from people their confidence.
It has made people forget that there is a purpose for which they can live for.
I hope I am not speaking to listeners far away, but to you.
Yes, to you, who now with dropping shoulders stand before me with that desperate look in your eyes as if there is no tomorrow.
Let me thunder in your ears.
The night shall not remain.
The dawn will break.
And you shall rise from your bed of despair with renewed strength and hope.
First of all, know that someone believes in you. Yes, I along with God, believe in failures. I believe your rotten performance today cannot erase what you truly are within you.
Hey team, you are talented; but talent will not take you places.
What you need is grit.
A game lost; a trophy not won is not the end of life.
Fame is a bubble; when for a moment all lights flash on you.
But today, we show character when all eyes are turned away from us.
Yes, we choose, to stay undefeated in our failures!
The most important thing it has taught me is sportsman spirit. There are good days and bad days in cricket. One cannot be at his best on all days, be it batting, bowling, or fielding. I also earned to treat the opposition with respect, and not to underestimate a weak team.
Yet another lesson learned was how to plan an innings. Playing cricket also helped me learn to persevere, which has been that one quality that has kept me going through tough times in life.
I cannot but mention some of the leadership lessons cricket has taught me as I got opportunities to captain my team.
Captaincy is an art. The most important quality you need as a leader is calmness under pressure. This I had in plenty then. One should have deep reservoirs of optimism even when everything around you is falling apart. Sudden loss of wickets or the opposition team tearing your bowling attack apart should not pull you down.
Again, the art of captaincy demands that your thinking should be fast forward. Decisive action and ability to communicate commands effectively are leadership qualities a cricket captain has to exercise and I got well-trained in it.
Daniela B. Peter @ 3 years playing cricket in the evening at terrace of our home.
But beyond all this cricket as a hobby gave me great joy. More than the physical exercise it provided, it was the gelling between friends that provided the greatest satisfaction. Even today memories of matches played bring a smile on my face.
And if you want me to pick out one thing—yes, that one thing that I fine-tuned, polished, and brought to a class act through playing cricket, it is the art of finishing strong and finishing well. For nothing has given me a greater sense of satisfaction than hitting the winning run or taking the final wicket.
Let me conclude by saying that cricket is a beautiful game. It not only entertains but educates as well. Winning a game of cricket remains a great art. And not all teams win all the time. Perhaps more important is how you played the game.
Every four years millions in the world stay awake. They stay awake to watch the drama of World Cup Football.
The whistle blows and from the centre the ball is kicked. The kick off begins a series of passes, dribbles, free kicks, throw-ins, tackles gentle and wild, headers, and finally Goal! In 90 minutes divided into two equal halves you see a miniature of life. It is action-packed, with fortune swinging both ways, a procession of mistakes with yellow and red cards shown, agony and ecstasy, hard work, perspiration, and wild joy when scoring goals.
In these 90 minutes of play legends are born of the like of Pele, Maradona, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Zidane, Lev Yashin, Sir Bobby Charlton, Beckham, Lothar Mathaus, Garrincha, Platini, Ronaldo, Franz Beckenbauer, Johann Cryff, Roger Milla, Paolo Rossi, Iniesta, Gerd Muller, etc. The list is practically endless.
They are great strikers, dribblers of the ball, free kick specialists, goal keepers, creative mid fielders controlling the game, exponents of total football, leaders with charisma and influence and the ability to entertain at the highest level of the game.
Now what makes football special? First and foremost, in a span of 90 minutes it entertains. We find the best of men in action. We find game plans and strategies being executed. We find coaches some nervous, some cool, some sitting still, some pacing on the sidelines giving instructions and shouting at his players to follow their well thought out plans.
Secondly, football is not just about individual brilliance. Of course, talent is needed. But more importantly, you play best when you play in the position you are good at. If you are the centre forward, no good playing in defence. What counts is teamwork. The best goal scorer cannot do it on his own unless some in his team creates a winning pass. As far as team work is concerned, football is one hundred per cent a team game.
Thirdly, football has a religious kind of fan following which seems to be universal unlike any other sports and games. Football fans will go to any length to watch their favourite player, club, or national team play. The No. 10 Jersey is often reserved for the best player in the team. There are endless debates about who the greatest player is. And a very critical role is played by the coach too.
Fourth, there are emotions on the football field like no other. One penalty missed, one mistake by a great goalie; all spell disaster and players and fans cry alike. There has been a host of great players who never made it big on the world cup stage. They promised big, but delivered not; they were talented plentifully, but failed to capitalize on it.
Some were heroes in one day’s game and became traitors in the next; missed penalty kicks and chances being the villains. On the other hand occasionally you saw some teams come back from being a couple of goals down to win the game. There were hat tricks that were sensations. saves that mesmerized, penalty shoot outs and sudden deaths that sent your hearts racing.
Finally, let me end with these famous lines of the late American sportswriter Henry Grantland Rice in his poem Alumnus Football:
“For when the One Great Scorer comes
To mark against your name,
He writes – not that you won or lost –
But how you played the Game.”
Yes friends, world cup football is a time when legends are born. They are remembered not just for the goals scored but for the way they played the game. Their talent, class, elegance, charisma, strength, speed, accuracy, team playing abilities, performance, sportsmanship, and goal-scoring moments will remain in our minds for a long time to come. No wonder why football is the world’s favourite game.
