Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Vadodara, July 25: A friend of mine subscribing to cable TV here told me that he got this notice along with his bill: "Due to popular demand, starting June 1, ESPN-2 will be on channel 60, replacing the Faith and Values channel"! That just about sums up the popular American psyche about value of sports in their lives. They prefer action to advice.
I have met lots of teenagers all over the United States, charming, well-informed, bright young people. They include the Whites and Blacks, Asians and Africans, Europeans and Australians; and, of course, the Gujaratis. Talk to them about studies and they are mildly bored. Talk to them about politics and they appear amused. Talk to them about sports, and oh boy! their eyes light up, their faces brighten and they begin to speak eloquently. They think, for the first time, that you, the oldster, are after all sensible.
Americans love to be outdoors: and playgrounds are their special favorites. They are truly involved, players and spectators alike. It is a joy to watch them, cheering their heroes. There appeared to be so many of them, so I set out to find out who they were. I asked ten persons at random who their sports hero was. The answer, ten out of ten: Michael Jordan! Most call this basketball player `Air Jordan’, because his six-foot-six frame seems to fly when he grabs the ball, in his strong, skillful hands; his eyes flash with fire as he shoots into the rival team’s basket.
This was something he did again and again, against all forms of opposition, for his team the Chicago Bulls, the past decade or so. Sadly, he retired last year from competitive basketball, aged 36 and having earned at least $32 million. Today, he’s a regular on talk shows and advertisements, adding more to his bank balance but still a big favourite of most Americans.
The Soccer arena: That women no longer lag behind men on the sports field was more than proved during the finals of the Women’s Soccer World Cup, held the final game, the stadium was filled to capacity, and millions of pairs of eyes, mine included, were glued to the TV screen as old rivals the US and China met face-to-face. The regulation 90-minute period failed to bring about a result, so the game went into extra time. Still no result.
Last stop, the penalty shoot-out. By now, almost the whole country was in a frenzy; every man, woman and child watched as US goalkeeper Briana Scurry made the match-winning save. Victory to the US! Victory and defeat apart, however, it was a memorable sight when nimble feet and nimbler minds brought cheers and tears, among the vast national audience, on the battlefield of sports. All America hailed the team’s biggest star, Mia Hamm, blessed with model looks. Almost matching her in sheer brilliance on the field was China’s "Sun Wen".
That match, and indeed the entire tournament, brought home one point to me: When shall we produce our own Mayas and Sunitas to mount the world stage? That will need a national priority very different from the one existing today.The author may be contacted via e-mail at: buch@aristotle.net
