Opinion Sportsmanship is going out of fashion
From golf hooliganism to chess theatrics to off-court cricket war of words, the line between passion and provocation is being blurred and crossed one sport at a time
Take the recent incident in which Hikaru Nakamura threw world champion D. Gukesh’s king into the crowd after beating him in an India vs USA exhibition match. This move, encouraged by organisers eager to turn chess into a spectator spectacle, ignored the nature of the sport. Chess isn’t football — a contact sport where tribal loyalty often leads to unruly fan behaviour. Once you head down that path, it becomes a race to the bottom. Nostalgia comes with rose-tinted glasses. Those of a certain vintage often argue that life was better in their youth — more peaceful, less expensive, and far less stressful.
This sentiment is even more pronounced in the world of sport. Veterans often claim that the game was in better shape during their time, and that the players — both teammates and opponents — were superior to today’s practitioners.
Sport, back in the day, was generally seen as gentler and less cut-throat. Sepia-tinted footage of cricket matches from the 1960s (or earlier) shows wickets being celebrated with a simple pat on the back. Send-offs were rare. Winning match point in a Wimbledon final would be followed by a quiet jog to the net and a handshake with the opponent. Amateur sport was more relaxed, and spectators treated it as just that — a sport.
This is a far cry from the unruly scenes at the recent Ryder Cup, held just outside New York. “F*** you, Rory” is hardly a civilised statement in any context. Even McIlroy’s wife, Erica, wasn’t spared — a beer can was reportedly hurled in her direction but fortunately missed, possibly proving that excessive alcohol doesn’t improve one’s aim. Spectators also shouted references to McIlroy’s past relationships and to the weight of his playing partner, Shane Lowry.
The abuse — which even PGA of America officials admitted had “crossed the line” — tarnished an event that, despite its intensity, has a rich tradition of sportsmanship. It was at the Ryder Cup that The Concession took place — one of sport’s greatest acts of grace.
In 1969, Jack Nicklaus conceded a short putt that Tony Jacklin needed to tie the final match and the overall contest. “I don’t think you would have missed it, but I wasn’t going to give you the chance, either,” said the Golden Bear. That moment sparked a lifelong friendship and eventually inspired the Nicklaus-Jacklin Award for Sportsmanship.
Today, however, sportsmanship is increasingly seen as an outdated concept. The recent Asia Cup cricket tournament in the UAE made headlines not for the quality of play, but for the animosity between India and Pakistan — just weeks after a terror attack and military conflict. India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, at least acknowledged reality when he said, “some things are above sporting spirit,” to justify the team’s decision not to shake hands with their opponents.
Not that Pakistani cricketers and officials were exemplars of decorum either. Fast bowler Haris Rauf made a gesture mimicking a falling aircraft — an image that didn’t sit well with Indian fans. Batter Sahibzada Farhan celebrated a half-century with a finger-gun salute, echoing George Orwell’s view of sport as “war minus the shooting.”
Mohsin Naqvi — who simultaneously serves as the Asian Cricket Council chief, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, and his country’s interior minister — has shown little evidence of diplomatic tact. After making provocative comments about the military skirmish in May, he refused to delegate the trophy presentation when India declined to receive the award from him. Instead, he walked off with the silverware, prompting many to lament the passing of good sense and sportsmanship.
The cricket itself in the Asia Cup was often substandard, and the much-hyped India-Pakistan “rivalry” ended up as a series of one-sided matches and controversy-fuelled headlines. Still, the fact that the two sides played on three consecutive Sundays was enough to keep the broadcasters and the ACC grinning all the way to the bank — which explains why every ICC tournament now guarantees at least one India-Pakistan fixture.
This obsession with the bottom line is also fuelling bizarre innovations aimed at attracting casual fans and fuelling social-media buzz. Chess, for instance, is a niche sport whose depth and nuance are often invisible to the casual observer. The easiest — though certainly not the best — way to “popularise” it is through gimmicks and theatrics that alter the character of the game.
Take the recent incident in which Hikaru Nakamura threw world champion D Gukesh’s king into the crowd after beating him in an India vs USA exhibition match. This move, encouraged by organisers eager to turn chess into a spectacle, ignored the nature of the sport. Chess isn’t football — a contact sport where tribal loyalty often leads to unruly fan behaviour. Once you head down that path, it becomes a race to the bottom.
Not every sport needs to be a multi-billion-dollar industry.
At its purest, sport brings out the best in human nature — pushing individuals to the limits of their abilities, while fostering mutual respect and empathy. Whether for commercial or political reasons, or simply to gain an edge over an opponent, there are lines that should never be crossed.
As the saying goes: If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for everything.
tushar.bhaduri@expressindia.com
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