Be humble in victory, Graceful in defeat….Be a sport….

 Football World cup 2018 is on and West Germany, the No 1 ranking football team of the world has been eliminated in the initial round having lost to Mexico (ranked No 15) and South Korea (ranked No 57). Iceland, smallest nation to qualify in the World cup, and Switzerland holding their mighty opponents Argentina and Brazil to one all draw in their respective games are the other major upsets. There have been many games where the winner has been decided in the very last minute. This clearly indicates that the ranking you enjoy doesn’t matter in the game, what matters is how much you have progressed, the hard work/ preparation and the ‘Never Give up’ attitude. The opponent’s history and ranking should not bother you, what matters is your belief in your own skill. The match is not over till the final whistle has been blown, a goal can be scored in the very last second and the entire narrative changes. 

Every team, irrespective of the ranking they enjoy, is stepping out on the field with the will to win. This is what life is exactly all about. People with a ‘never say die attitude’, always willing to learn, improve their skills and work hard are bound to be the winners. Once you enter the field, do not bother about the reputation of opponents, enter with a fresh mind and belief in your own skills and you will succeed. Yes, do not forget to carry out a detailed study of the skills and abilities of the opponents; this will certainly help you in preparing well. Learn from them, use their strength and weakness to your advantage. Do not ever let the past victories go to your head or make you complacent. Every game is a new game, every team is there to win. Do not ever take any opponent lightly. 

Another big takeaway from the World cup results thus far has been the sportsman spirit on display. Aptly described in Wikipedia, Sportsman spirit is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or an activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect and a sense of fellowship with one’s competitors. One got to be a ‘good sport’ meaning accepting victory with humility and being graceful in defeat. This is so true in life as such. If the victories get to your head or you keep brooding over the losses for too long you are bound to fail in the long run. 

“To succeed in life be a ‘good player’; Humble in victory, graceful in defeat (failure), learning from every experience and moving on” 

“It’s the team which matters, individuals should work to make the team strong; When ‘Me’ becomes ‘Us’ success is bound to follow”