The biggest reason why people love sports and worship sports stars is because sport is the most natural extension of a man's physical abilities. We evolved to use our limbs to run, trained our senses and movement to hunt prey and protect ourselves from predators. Man developed weapons to aid him in these tasks and success in hunting often used to bring him the greatest satisfaction. After thousands of years, men still run and compete in athletics, throw the javelin, duck a cricket ball, hit the angles in tennis and score a goal in football. If these are not natural extensions of his physical abilities, what are they?
Any other career requires the use of computers, the need to study and more often than not, multiple academic qualifications. These careers can be lucrative but are hardly endearing. They may entice briefly but lack the ability to sustain interest. Technology is increasingly used in sports but essentially, it is still the natural movements and reflexes that define and shape an athlete's performance. It's all fine saying that sports are loved because they are extensions of a man's natural capabilities but then is that all sports have to offer?
The answer is a big no. Sports events are arenas where the best and worst aspects of a man's behaviour tend to manifest themselves. Sports stars can be exceedingly gracious on occasions and exhibit a terrific spirit on the field. Why else would phrases such as 'sporting behaviour and sportsmanship' be used and highly regarded? To be a winner and yet not forget the vanquished is something that sets the best of stars apart. Think back to Andrew Flintoff moving away from his celebrating team mates and crouching by Brett Lee to console the latter. Or cast your mind back to Rafael Nadal, who so gracefully hugged a teary-eyed Roger Federer after the Australian Open final in 2009. These moments matter. These scenes are rooted in your memory and confirm the beauty and charm of sport.
Sports foster a competitive spirit like no other. The best players boast a never-say-die attitude and an iron will to succeed despite all the odds stacked against them. They manage to find motivation when all seems lost and keep the flame burning. How else can one explain Brian Lara's extraordinary match-winning innings against an all-conquering Australia even though there was hardly any hope? Manchester United's remarkable last-minute heroics against Bayern Munich only reaffirm that the best never give up. Whenever I have been in the doldrums, I have gathered my spirits by thinking back to these wonderful acts of defiance. Sports have changed me as a person. I have appreciated the value of team work and persevered till I realise success but more importantly, I have learned to be a graceful loser. Sports stars may be rich and pampered in this day and age but this does not take away the fact that they struggled in the past and sacrificed many comforts to reach the top. The history of various sports is rife with tales of legends who came from the bottom strata of society and worked their way to fame and immortality. Numerous stars may have failed to live with the adulation and stardom and instead been lured by mammon. This is no slur on sport but is a prime example of man's vulnerabilities.
Don Bradman may have scored a hundred virtually every time he batted and seemed invincible but his final duck brought a sense of poignancy and humanness with it. Perfection is boring but not so man’s vulnerability and fallibility. They make sports special. They bring in a sense of randomness which characterises our lives. Life finds its greatest analogy in sport. The highs, the lows, the victories, the defeats, the praises, the criticism…
One does not need to look further than sports to understand mankind's diversity. The genes and environment combine seamlessly to bring out varied characteristics among players. Sample traits as diverse as Maradona's sheer genius interspersed with moments of madness, the flair of the Caribbean masters, Garrincha's out-of-the-world ability to enthrall despite being afflicted with polio, Sachin Tendulkar's poise and grace and many more. Sports provide the viewer with opportunities to identify his heroes, idolise them and yet learn from their mistakes. Sports thrill the senses, calm the tensed mind and importantly leave an indelible mark in the memory. Evolution has made man love anything remotely connected with sports and relate with sporting achievements as if they were his own.
CLR James, in his classic book 'Beyond a Boundary' says 'What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?' This is more than a valid point. No sport can be truly appreciated and understood without knowledge of the diverse characters involved, the history of the sport and the circumstances surrounding an achievement. West Indian cricket can never quite be enjoyed unless one learns about the effect racial politics had on people. The urge for the Caribbean natives to break free and hit back is captured quite superbly in Stevan Riley's Fire in Babylon. Brazilian football for all its simplicity and sorcery can never be relished if one does not appreciate the nature of the people in the country. History matters a great deal. Wimbledon would never have been what it is if not for its glorious past. Lord's, Old Trafford, MCG are not like any other arena. They are symbols that have defined what we are. Sports provide a different perspective, stimulate thoughts and foster an interest in various fields. Most people would laugh at Harold Pinter's suggestion that Test cricket (sports) is better than sex. But then, I wonder if there is some truth concealed there. While the latter provides a heavenly but fleeting high, sports leave infinite memories that are more than likely to last a lifetime. Rather inevitably, after having begun with the question 'Why sports?’, I have reached a stage when I wonder 'Why life without sports?'
