What is sport teaching us?

It has been a topsy-turvy year to say the least. Things have started to open up, people seem more relaxed, there's also a hint of normalcy yet there is more to it than what meets the eye. We are not fully out of the pandemic but sport along with its myriad incarnations is back in a major way. This in my opinion has been a substantial factor in driving out the gloom that had settled in since the onset of the pandemic. But sport by itself is nothing without the unbelievable individuals who permeate its every fabric. I was fortunate to witness the fascinating stories of some very talented sports people this year. Here in this blog I will try to do my best to not only recount those stories but also the various lessons that can be gleaned from them. So let's begin!

Lesson 1 - You can't have it all

Rarely has a tennis player looked so complete and as perfect as Novak Djokovic in full bloom. The year 2021 was set to be his signature year. He trampled competition at the Australian Open, engineered multiple come from behind victories at the French and didn't even break a sweat while annexing Wimbledon. All that remained was the Olympic gold and the US Open which would lead him to the almost  insurmountable accomplishment in all of tennis known as the 'Calendar Year Golden Slam'. But all of that changed on a fateful Tokyo evening when one Alexander Zverev decided to open up his court game and take destiny into his own hands. After losing the first set, Zverev launched a massive counter-offensive to knock Novak off his perch. The defeat largely unforeseen at that time did start a series of reversals for Novak who slid to defeat in the bronze medal match (against Pablo Carreño Busta) and then was denied a calendar year grand slam by Daniil Medvedev in the US Open Final.  How will Novak look back at his year? What will he tell himself to move on from the fact that tennis immortality was almost his before some extraordinary tennis took it away from him? Will he take solace in the fact that he himself had some narrow victories which could have easily been defeats? Guess we will only know when we see his game in the future. But I am sure whenever perspective sets in, Novak will definitely look back at this year with a lot of pride.

Novak Djokovic looking forlorn after the reversal at Olympics (Courtesy: NDTV Sports)

Lesson 2 - Stop not till the goal is achieved

The name Aisuluu Tynybekova might not instantly ring a bell but take that name along with Sakshi Malik and also throw in Olympics for good measure. Then the picture becomes one of unmitigated joy for a billion Indians. Yes, Tynybekova was the one that Sakshi took down in the final seconds of the freestyle wrestling bronze medal match at the Rio Olympics. While Sakshi rejoiced in her nail-biting triumph, Tynybekova was a sea of grief. But great champions don't give up they persevere. Tynybekova did just that, she overcame her dejection to keep competing at an elite level and won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In typical Tynybekova fashion, she expressed disappointment at not winning gold but I am sure (like Novak) with perspective she will look back at the enormity of this triumph with satisfaction and a smile.

Aisuluu Tynybekova an Olympic silver medalist (Courtesy: UWW)

Lesson 3 - So near yet so far

Anthony Joshua is an Olympic champion, world champion boxer, youth icon and a role model to scores of athletes across Europe and Africa. The man looks likes an Adonis, is articulate, kind and cultured. The man has it all you would say. But that's where you have it all wrong. The man doesn't have it all. For years he has been chasing the undisputed heavyweight boxing championship only to be denied each time. Remember that time in 2018, when there was rampant speculation about the undisputed championship fight between him and Deontay Wilder. Both were undefeated and a title unification between the two was every fan's dream but the talks fell apart as they often do in boxing. Both went their separate ways, lost their undefeated records, squashing the dream match-up which never came to be. 

In 2021, Anthony Joshua was once again near the summit he so often talked off. He was an announcement away from the undisputed championship match with Tyson Fury when the fight was cancelled as Deontay Wilder enforced his rematch clause with Tyson Fury (Wilder lost his title to Fury just before the pandemic set in). Forced to realign his goals and defend his set of titles against a world-class opponent like Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua came up short and was thoroughly outclassed. To be honest, this defeat wouldn't have stung as much if Joshua had already won or even fought for the undisputed title. But he's once again playing catch-up when at one point the opportunity to fight for the undisputed championship was his for the taking. There's no way to know how well will Anthony Joshua bounce back from this defeat. There's also no certainty that he will ever fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship. Whatever be the case, Anthony Joshua had done a lot of things right to put himself in this position but he also has to bite the bullet and accept the mistakes which unraveled his mega star potential. He just needs to remember that time is on his side. Who knows this chase to become the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion might very well be his legacy in the annals of boxing.

Anthony Joshua after the loss against Usyk (Courtesy: The Sun)

Lesson 4 - You can't deny a winner

I wrote an entire blog about this so I am not going to repeat myself again. Great teams and great players achieve consistent success by getting the fundamentals right. In the WTC final, India had the sizzle and the firepower but it was New Zealand who prevailed through their sheer discipline and focus. These attributes brought them to the 2019 World Cup Final but this time they were destined for greater glory. 

New Zealand as champions after the WTC final (Courtesy: Hindustan Times)

Lesson 5 - All that shines is sometimes gold

There have been innumerable instances of athletes who haven't been able to live up to the hype at the Olympics. The story of one champion javelineer Neeraj Chopra, is different though. Neeraj has been at the center of the media storm carrying the hopes of a billion Indians every since he won the Commonwealth gold way back in 2018. He repeated his success at the 2018 Asian Games, performed consistently through the intervening international meets, kept his head through the pandemic and then showed up at the Olympics all-prepared to win India's first track and field gold. 

In the javelin final, Neeraj had to overcome tall odds in the form of Johannes Vetter (the gold medal favorite), Jakub Vadlejch (2017 World Championship Silver Medalist) and Vítězslav Veselý (Bronze Medalist from 2012 Olympics in London). All of his great rivals had more experience and better Personal Best(s) than he did. But Neeraj stayed in the moment to execute his game plan while his rivals swayed slightly off the mark when the pressure got to them. Neeraj's self belief which stemmed from his training was a key component in his victory. The gold medal by itself speaks eons about Neeraj's athletic ability but spare a thought for his acumen, intellect and determination which was able to shut out all the noise to deliver upon his promise. May he keep up these gifts throughout his career and continue to inspire people across the world.

Neeraj Chopra is all smiles after winning Olympic gold (Courtesy: India Today)

So there you go friends, hope the stories and the lessons they brought forth were entertaining and intellectually stimulating. What was sport telling you during this pandemic? Was there a story which touched you and provoked that inner struggle (we all call thought process) within you? Do leave a comment and illuminate us with your experience.

Until Next Time,

Your resident sports fan,

Chaitanya J.J.