(* Reproduced with permission as published in L&D BYTES e-magazine of LnD Global Kolkata Chapter)
Super Sporting Sunday is what we could have called it. 11th of July 2021 turned out to be a cracker burst of sporting excellence! At least for our time zone in India, starting unusually before dawn at 5.30 am, the four spectacular events were all about different strokes for different folks emotionally. Football craze across the globe saw the two mighty giant nations of South America lock horns first. Here the most celebrated footballer on the planet, Lionel Messi chose his moment of glory to captain Argentina to his first big win in national colours after years of being a legend in club football seeking national glory in redemption. The touching moment when the Brazilian star Neymar sought out Messi to pay tribute in a silent embrace will be etched in a million minds as Brazil had never let Argentina win the Copa America for almost 28 years. It had all the elements of drama and sporting action. Almost 21 hours later, the curtains came down on the Euro Cup theatre of another continent with Italy beating England at a packed Wembley arena. At home, that England lost, was leading to violent backlash of hooliganism more because it was won on a lottery of a penalty shootout, not quite the fairest way of setting a thrilling contest! On the field though, it was the impeccable leadership grace of Captain Harry Kane in England’s moment of defeat and the calming presence of manager Gareth Southgate that will stand out for its dignified English elegance.
In between, our evening in India was lit up by two memorable champions fighting for the biggest honour in the world of tennis at Wimbledon – the Gentlemen Singles Title at the All England Club for Lawn Tennis and Croquet! The iconic Novak Djokovic won his 20th Grand Slam title to draw level with his legendary rivals Federer and Nadal as the three all-time greats in the game. The gallant loser Matteo Berettini made more friends across the world with his gracious and graceful demeanour, heightened even more by his cool, charming smile while leaving the court and almost out of the camera views as he was swallowed up by the pristine portals of the Clubhouse. Djokovic was calm and mellow in his praise for his rivals and charismatic in his diplomatic response about English or an Italian win later in the evening. He ducked it with a smart champion line in reply: “I am just going to enjoy some great football!”.
Elsewhere in England, the Indian Women’s cricket team pulled off an unbelievable win against the English team with great panache to level the series and take it to the decider by sheer fierce, fearless focus.
All of which led me to believe that sport is a spectacular leveller of reputations and achievements. It really doesn’t matter in the end about who wins or loses but being a true CHAMPION is more an attitude than a skill. The contest or competition is always about pitting the skills of players and its not about pitting emotions against each other or even carrying an old grudge between individuals. It is about living in the moment – of bringing out your best and hoping its better than the opponent bringing out his or her best – playing it by the rules that the WINNER TAKES IT ALL!
Isn’t life all about attitude? Attitude of a Win-Win even though the results are always a win-lose or a lose-win and sometimes even in a ‘no-contest’ we cannot doubt that their INTENT is to bring out their best and win in the moment.
Let’s call it a CHAMPION’S MINDSET – or a WINNING ATTITUDE?