The love of Sport
Rahul Bose - July 12, 2006
I never thought I’d say this but I am so happy India was not playing the soccer World Cup. Sure, as a national player of a sport in which India is still in the lowest quarter of the rankings I would be overjoyed if my footballing counterparts broke into the world’s top 32, but if you look at what happened to Indians across the country as they watched match after World Cup match you will understand why I feel so happy.
How refreshing for a game to be followed with collective fervour not out of jingoism but simply a love for top class sport. Think back when it last happened. No, it wasn’t the Olympics. Those, apart from being watched in the seclusion of your home, have too many contests of too many differing tempos to really ignite a collective spirit. Ditto for the Asian and Commonwealth Games. Wimbledon finals? A miniscule percentage. World Cup cricket, World Cup hockey, Davis Cup tennis? Too much at stake here for the Indian fan – tension and the tricolour are painted on both cheeks. No, the answer is the last soccer World Cup.
So why am I especially happy this time around? Because I think while historically Indian spectators have been intolerant of failures in sport, the years after FIFA World Cup 2002, have seen this intolerance exacerbated by a hunger to witness a win at any cost. That this hunger is simply an extension of a larger socio-cultural phenomenon where urban Indians today have scented the possibility of large material gains and are chasing them to the exclusion of everything else is probably true. It will no doubt be argued that after five decades of not having a result-oriented culture it’s a damn good thing people are getting off their behinds and developing a killer instinct. I have no problem with that. What is worrying is the tendency to throw the baby with the bathwater, to forget that the journey affords you as much joy as the goal (awful pun, totally unintended). When did you last hear our cricket stadia reverbrating in appreciation of an Inzamam century? How many times do we laud the incredible stickwork of the Aussies when we lose to them in hockey? Do we even care to read on once the headlines tell us Vishwanathan Anand lost to a Russian grandmaster? That unfortunately is what sport has come down to – victories. Win/loss quotients have become indices of national hope, pride, worth. If India isn’t winning, the match is disgusting, people leave the stadium early, angry phone-ins to match experts vent fury and disappointment against the team. (I am well aware the assumption will be that I am referring to cricket, but all of us know it’s equally true for any sport.)
The tricky point is that sport as an energiser of national morale is a good thing - ask any economist. Sport as a unifying factor in a nation with sundry divisions such as ours is a good thing - ask any politician. But that does not preclude the fact that sport, at it’s most elemental, is about creativity, rhythm, passion, valour, sweat, skill, and the most beautiful quality of them all – failure. Without the collective gasp of a free throw missed in the last minute of a tied NBA game where the hysteria of the last-second basket? Without the loss of two back-to-back tests, where the era-defining moment of a series won 3-2?
Failure is also the quickest teacher. It teaches us resilience. It teaches us grace under pressure. In its darkest avatar it teaches us we are born alone, we die alone. But it also teaches us that it’s all a game. And that it’s all part of the game. Nothing and nobody is ever bigger than the game. No one knows this more than the competitive sportsperson. Which is why our cricketers will walk up to Brian Lara and shake his hand for an epic, match-saving innings, long after a disappointed Indian contingent has left the stadium. Which is why Federer will stop to applaud a fantastically impossible Nadal return of serve while his supporters heckle the Spaniard. Sportspersons play first and foremost because they love the game. They form their playing patterns, their styles, their temperaments by inhaling every performance they watch, and savour and judge and analyse and learn from them. Not once do they ever stop to ask which country a player is from, or let the result of a match determine who they should applaud. Theirs is a life full of searching to appreciate the beauty in any player’s work.
If the Indian public could learn a little bit about this, they would realize how it would free them. The blood in their veins would flow easier, the food in their mouths would not turn to acid, their hearts would grow to the size of banyan trees. But there is hope with this year’s World Cup. As I travelled around the country’s neighbourhoods, restaurants, airports and gymkhanas, I saw the same faces who sit stock still while a Ricky Ponting cover drive crashes against the advertising boards cheering great football pouring out of Argentinian, Ghanaian and Italian boots. Everyone had their temporary favourite team to shout for, the referee was continually criticized, expert comments on midfield tactics were being passed thick and fast. I saw Indian faces, wrinkled, lipsticked, adolescent, aged, fragrant, sweat-lined, full-lipped, mustachioed - excited, illuminated, bound, not by love for country, not by love for victory, but by a love second only to parental love in its unconditionality – the love of sport.
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Posted by Rahul Bose at July 12, 2006 09:40 AM
Comments
Hi Rahul,
It was really nice to read from you.
This also reminds me the situation of a street in Chicago where thousands of American watching the Italy Vs France final match even there is no America playing.Even we(with my friends) were witnessing all the matches of world cup even if India was in the last quarter of the list. So this truly represents the change of mental state in whole world towards the global citizens. I have seen students discuss a lot more about sports or movies across boundaries. There is a drastic change over about the way we see and live our live life in India as a global citizen, and definitely love of Sports is one of the catalyst that driving us towards the common interest in the globalization era.
2. Posted by
Subhankar
![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.intentblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
on
July 12, 2006 12:16 PM
Sport can function as a unifying function all right provided it is sees as one. One has to remember the phrase" Its just a game". Even in India-Pakistan skirmishes, the cricketers themselves say that a game has to be treated as such and winning and losing is part of the game. The audience, however gets carried away by the ambience or should we say, the occasion and identify with the higher as j.krishnamurthy would say . As it is, human beings are more creatures of emotion than logic and when you combine that with lack of proper education, what can one expect? One can take heart from the fact that the Karachi crowd has improved tremendously as it had perhaps the worst reputation. Sometimes punishment(no sport) works as a good deterrant considering the general love for sport.
Well, Rahul, sometimes our South Asian soccer fans become as crazy - or more than - as those of countries playing.. specially the Bengalis. Here is a news story I covered on my blog of Bangla fans destroying their Electricity Office in various parts of the countries in different matches:
http://www.drishtikone.com/?q=node/1887
Cheers,
Desh
Drishtikone.com
As of the fact that a player plays any sports mainly out of the sheer love for the sports and the various other traits of the sportspersons enumerated may be true w.r.t. some individuals(sports persons), but it's not only we the non-playing spectators who show this violent trait , what will you say about the swearing on the cricket field or what happened on the playground of FIFA 2006 final (the Zidane episode). Even sportsperson at times want to win at any cost , abondoning the fairness and honesty in the game. Afterall a successful season would mean being the sponsors favourite!!!
I really hope that sportsperson really do play out of their sheer love of the sports.
I guess u were describing ur traits while giving the characteristics of a sportsperson,;)
Interesting perspective. I liked your article.
Love,
Donatella
Rahul: Great article.
I was not sure if the World Cup would generate any fervor in the Indian heart since their team had not qualified. I was pleasently surprised to see my cousins stay up till odd hours to watch the game. I noted their breakfast discussion was rather non-biased and focused strickly on the sport and technique rather than tension of how long will India last.
This was a great exercise for the avid sports fans of India.
Rahul, yesterday I saw you on the local train inquiring about how the common people felt after the recent bomb blasts. That was a very nice gesture If I may say so. Its not everday that a celebrity codescends to the level of us mortals. I have always felt that just as ideas beget ideas, money begets money and so on a celebrity should sort of unveil a worthy person or a cause. My family have been a staunch fan of yours after Jankar Beats and if I may say so now, I am too. Keep it up, man and one hopes others follow in your footsteps.
In the context of this thread, that was really sporty of you.
hi rahul how ru when u got the
Hi Rahul!
It was really nice n rhetoric... I could not follow the all of it but as much I did I think such a attitude of Indian spectator is justified. I feel one can enjoy the game best when he/she feels the involvement in the game. Good involvement is as good as playing and u can't win if u don't play to win!!
dear sir
im just wondering wether you are trying to teach us about failure or you are very happy about the fact that our country couldnt make it to the world cup. in either way you loose. because somebody who is rich and famous can never tell us about failure. its only the losers who can do that. secondly, since u seem to be extremely happy about our loss . i wonder what kind of citizen are you. you just reaffirmed my faith in the famous saying that celebrities are worth nothing.
Rahul, how did you jump from advertising to films. What do i need to do if i want to do the same.
Mr Bose,
I beg to differ over here. Its not only the Indian spectators here who are intolerant towards failures in the sports. This kind of attitude is also known to possesed by the South Americans and the Africans and even the suave English.
And why not? You follow or watch a particular sport for a particular team, not because it plays the game beautifully. You wouldnt like the appreciate the opponent goal or a boundary.
And you talk you being happy that Indian didnt make it to the World Cup because Indain loss would have created extreme reactions. No Mr. Bose because there wouldnt have been much of an expecatation for India to do well in football.
I would like to ask you a simple question. You are rugby player and you are on bench against some team. India is playing well yet the opponent scores a try through a defencesive lapse, would you not be angered by that or would yuo appreciate the opponent at that moment?
Also, you talk about the love of sports. Is it really the love of sports that drive sportsmen to play it. No is the obvious answer. They are there as professionals, so why cant they accept the professional treatment i.e. if they are doing good they will be lauded and if they arent then they will booed. A simple analogy to the corporate world, where in a employer doing well in a firm wont be appreciated by their competitor.
The love of sport that you are talking about has long gone.
14. Posted by
Selective Amnesia
on
July 17, 2006 09:51 PM
Rahul:
A little off topic.. but I was wondering if you have anything to say about the Government's Ban on the Bloggers??
It is instructive to note that bloggers.com domain has been blocked... and it was mumbaihelp.blogspot.com that was truly responsible for bringing timely info to the public at the crucial hour.
If everyone is afraid of the remarks from bloggers - then all one can say is that it is everyone's prerogative to speak out... and it is no fun for the public in general to keep taking hits because our politicians are in the la-la-land where a peaceful Pakistan thrives. The common man has to pay for such fantasies!!
Cheers,
Desh
Drishtikone.com
15. Posted by
Desh kapoor
on
July 18, 2006 07:47 AM
Hello Rahul,
It would be nice to know about the kind of books that you think make an interesting reading....I mean your favourite books over the years which you would recommend to other readers!!
16. Posted by
aloka
on
July 22, 2006 07:27 AM
A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you!! i know it was on july 27 but had my exams going on..lots of people around me are leo..they are great people to have..their common trait is once they give their word rest is assured..even my niece who is just 5yrs follows it to a t!.. wish you great years ahead........
17. Posted by
thamanna
on
August 1, 2006 12:26 PM
Hey Rahul,
I just came to know of you.. watched your movie, 15 Park Ave. I think the entire cast was brilliant. I dont have to preach to a rugby player the misdemeanors of "main-stream" sentiments but, I enjoyed reading your piece.
Write me a line and maybe I can tell you about one more non-main-stream sport, so obscure that when I called the federation that was supposed to be promoting it they said "are you sure you have participated in one of these before?" :)
cheers
18. Posted by
anudontask
on
September 9, 2007 03:05 AM
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Recent Comments
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anudontask commented on The love of Sport
Hey Rahul,
I just came to know of you.. w -
thamanna commented on The love of Sport
A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you!! i know it was on
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aloka commented on The love of Sport
Hello Rahul,
It would be nice to know a
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Desh kapoor commented on The love of Sport
Rahul:
A little off topic.. but I was w
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Selective Amnesia commented on The love of Sport
Also, you talk about the love of sports. Is it
Hey Rahul,
That was such a nice way to look at India not playing the World Cup. You put your thoughts very well too. I think Indian minds are ingrained with the thought that if you don't win in anything and everything that you participate in, then you are a BIG LOSER, not just in the sport you participated in but in life itself! This is the attitude that prevents many from enjoying what they do because of the omnipresent anxiety of having to win/succeed.
But India is slowly coming around to appreciating the talent of a sportsman/woman, irrespective of win/lose, nationality...
ARM