| Unsporting behavior
If there is one field where the Manipuri people can hold their heads high it is undoubtedly in games and sports and nothing illustrated this better than the just concluded Punjab National Games where our sportsmen and sportswomen gave us a lot to cheer about. However one disturbing trend that is threatening to rock the very basis of sports and games is the frequent outbreak of violence and utter lack of discipline amongst players.
The decision of the Manipur Hockey Association to scrap the talented and spirited SEYO from the ongoing 4th Kanto Mukherji Memorial Hockey Tournament following a scuffle over an umpiring decision on January 10 is a sad reminder that at times things such as beautiful as sports can be maligned by some unwanted incidents.
Sports as we understand it today is no longer as it was a decade ago or even some years back and there is definitely no room for complacency and sportsman are expected to perform in a cut throat atmosphere where the difference between winning and losing is not about qualifying for the next round or garnering full points.
It runs deeper than this. In the international context where sports now spells mega bucks for the sportsmen it is not only about winning or losing a match but about endorsing good and being the ambassador of a multi-dollar company. Sports is today a major industry and the talent and prowess of a sportsman is increasing calculated in terms of
endorsements and appearance fees. This commercialization of sports may have something to do with the seeming, lack of discipline amongst sportsmen spread across the nook and corner of the world.
The accompanying perks and financial benefits have undoubtedly put sportsmen and women under severe pressure to perform but this alone cannot condone acts of sheer indiscipline and at times downright hooliganism on the field. In Manipur the spell of mega bucks and big money and corporatization of sports is yet to take root but there can be suffocating at times. And maybe it is the sheer pressure that leads our sportsmen to throw all civil behavior to the wind when the dice refuse to roll their way. Just a few months back, police personnel had to open fire in the air to control a football match at Khuman Lampak.
It was good fortune that no one was hurt in the melee that followed but such incident left a bad taste in the mouth. Our sportsmen and women should remember that when they take the field they carry not only the hopes and aspirations of their fans and supporters but they are also role models for the young and upcoming sportsmen and women.
To encourage our young people to take to sports, at least some commendable behavior is expected from our sportsmen. Killer instinct and the competitive edge should not be misinterpreted or allowed to sink to the level of goondaism. In the ultimate analysis no one is above the game. As children we were taught that sports is not only about winning but also participating and inculcating the spirit of sportsmanship. Only the insensitive will allow this vintage moral teaching to gather dust.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express) |
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