Celebrating Win
Lawn Tennis is such an exciting and amazing sport that if you ask champions and players engaged in other sports, like Cricket, Hockey, Soccer, Basketball, Formula 1 Race etc., what do they enjoy the most besides playing the sports they excel in, the unanimous choice will be Lawn Tennis.
It’s an amazing sport where players get to play from both sides of the court, you get to play 3 games at least, and each game having 4 sub-points, followed by 6 points at least. So, if you lose, you are losing comprehensively with no space to lean on any excuse, like wind, shadows, heat and so on.
Then, it has another beauty spot, that you may turn the match your way anytime in the game. People who play or watch Lawn Tennis matches can appreciate what I am saying. Like, Djokovic, in one of victory speeches (as losing finalist) said that he has won many matches which he should not have, and lost many matches too which he should not have. That is the kind of swing this game throws at no matter what be your world ranking.
Yet, Champions, because of their hard work, physical endurance and consistency, win year after year in the Grand Slam matches.
This year Final of French Open, and Wimbledon was played between the same two astonishing good players, Carlos Alcaraj, and Jannik Sinner, and each one of them lifting one Trophey each. The spectacle of both the Final matches was edge of the seat experience, and like one about to miss a heart beat.
I have been watching Lawn Tennis matches for over 40 years, when Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors and John Mcnore, and Ivan Lendl used to rule the roost, though at times our own Vijay Amritraj dazzled the courts too, and entertained their fans, to the amazing display of intense rivalry in the recent past between Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Djokovic for the past 20 years or so.
I have been hearing the victory speeches by the winner and losing finalist too at Prize distribution ceremony in this sport over the years. I don’t remember any Champion saying, a traditional spiritually soaked words of ‘Thanks God’, ‘ Blessings of my parents’ etc. May be they say it within themselves. For public consumption, they only express their Thankfulness to their Team, their opponent, opponent’s Team, event management Team, all the support people who make all the kind of arrangements required to host such a prestigious mega events.
A lesson to be taken home by all players/teams is that we should not wear our religious affiliations on our shoulders, and in true professional spirit, dedicate our victory to our Team, the support people who organize these events, and the spectators who come from all part of world to witness such international sports meet.
Let’s always appreciate that victory in all kind of sports ask for lot of hard work, huge sacrifices, self -belief, consistency in practice sessions and staying motivated all the times. An individual’s victory is a culmination of team efforts put-in by the Team, and is a recognition of Team work.
🙏🙏🙏