Monday 30 June 2008

Summer Time!

It's summer time finally!! Initially we thought end May- Jun is the start of summer but were baffled when it rained a few days and with cloudy skies and cold weather...
21 Jun is the start of summer and summer indeed it was.

Temperature will hit as high as 35 degree celcius by noon. Morning and night are slightly cooler. Fortunately indoor temperatures are maintained around 26-27 degree celcius and I don't get sweaty. But the sun is really blazing and scorching, piercing right through your skin if you're not 'shaded'. So it's best to put on sun block if you get sun burnt easily. A cap and sunglass are necessities here in summer.


Well, yesterday was too hot for us to go to Bellevue to watch the match, so we ended up watching it from home where at least, it was smoke-free :) A pek chek match to watch actually cos Spain had so many opportunities but somehow, no luck...

You could see how the players get frustrated and gets rough eventually when the pressure to win gets intense. From such situations, you could also see whether a player display his sportsmanship.

From merely a sport, it has evolved into something commercial and political. Who benefits? The big sponsors of course, the winning team (though they must have shed lots of sweat and blood, well everything comes with a price), the pubs, the shops selling the merchandise, TV stations etc.

When I watched the contrasting facial expressions of the winning and the losing teams, I then recalled how we used to cheer in secondary school for our team. Our netball teacher did not allow us to clap or cheer loudly when the team scored. The most we could do was to clap with our little pinkies if a goal is scored. I can sort of understand why she did that.

Of course, it would be more fun and exciting to watch a match with all the cheering and clapping, but I guess our teacher didn't want us to develop that sense of pride and ego when we play. A game is a game and should be played as a game where it's a test of capabilities, skills and well, with a tint of luck in the competitions.

The winners will feel triumphant and happy while the teams that do not make it will feel lousy and perhaps with much jealousy when they see the winners basking in their glory. I know it may sound rather idealistic or too 'nobelistic' if I say one should possess the true spirit of a sportsman and play the game fair instead of rough play, acting injured etc. Having the fighting spirit vs playing rough aren't the same thing.

Well, maybe that's reality where sports has somewhat become commercialised. But I'm sure there will be some true sportsmen/women out there.

No comments: