Winner - Sport

Sports – I love them. Cricket, Football, Tennis and the list goes on. Reliving some of the best moments make you wonder at the way the modern sport is moving. “The Gentlemen’s Game” doesn’t hold good anymore for Cricket, It’s now more of physical than a serene game. The way tackles are flying in and the head butts happen in football, it seems to be giving rugby a run for its money. All this happens in the name of winning. Is this want winning means or does? Winning at any cost is good attitude to have keeping in mind the respect for the opposition. It seems to be contradictory doesn’t it? Surely it did to me until I switched on El Clasico of tennis Fed-x V Nadal match (Wimbledon 2008 highlights). The answer seemed to be so obvious and the statement as such was put to perspective seeing the best in the business sweat it out.

The R v R rivalry had all the answers. Every match of theirs irrespective of the surfaces they play is a treat to watch. Certainly so in clay and grass, I might have no answer to the pundits and stats that show that Fed express speeds over the Spanish warrior on faster surfaces. But then here we are not debating who the best is. For me it is more about the way they play the game. One a magnificent artist, the other street fighter, one right handed the other left handed, one possess the most beautiful shot in the game - single hand backhand the other has a deadly spinning and dipping forehand, one relaxed and carefree the other meticulous about his rituals. They for sure have contrasting styles but they have one thing in common that is to win. Win at any cost? Certainly- pundits would echo coarsely. Yes they do with great hunger. For that they don’t slap each other, neither on the name of mind games call one another “Monkey or rather Maa Ki”. Wait when I say this all you will mull over to the fact that Cricket or Football is a team game and so a contact sport. Inevitable, hence Game-set and Match. Is that what is running through your brains?

Friends here there is no comparison that is being made but rather a genuine observation at how well a rivalry can be fruitful for the game. How aggression in the game and not on the personnel makes the game even more enjoyable. Tennis very true isn’t a contact sport, but neither is cricket. The rivalry between the Swiss maestro and the Spanish bull - isn’t it a treat to watch? They are so special for the reason that they are not bad losers. They make each other sweat the most to earn every single point. But then that is where their animosity ends. The respect they have for game and to opponents as such reminds you that this is still a game, where one has to loose but the sport wins, the fans win. They are the perfect brand ambassadors for this wonderful game. As I finish this one just to emphasis the point we just have to rewind to Barca v Arsenal quarter final’s match at Emirates. Wasn’t that a treat? Football played at break taking pace, end to end stuff, no swearing, no play acting and no leg breaking tackles. After all it is a game where one has to win and win at all costs. I agree. But to win you don’t have to be a bad looser, you don’t have to enact you opponents to red cards. The pain in me as a genuine sports follower is that the people have taken the wrong side of ‘Winning at any cost’. The people who matter have forgotten that it is a game that is played to bring smiles on those tired faces that walk in to stadium. Hope there are many more such rivalries that will grace the sports and refresh it for the generations to come. Hope players walk the pitch to play the game. Hope Hope and Hope !!!