Sunday, March 23, 2008
Is Winning Important in Sports?

I strongly believe that winning is not important in sports. The objective of winning a sport is to receive the fame and prestige that comes with the title of being number one. However, this status does not last forever. Someone will bound to come along and take all of it away. This particular trend has been observed in the course of history, even in major competitions such as in the FIFA World Cup, where no nation has ever held on to their position as number one for more than 3 years consecutively. Since it is more or less set in stone that one cannot win forever, it would be pointless to place winning as one of the top priorities.

What would be important when it comes to sports is not winning, but the sportsmanship. Put simply, sportsmanship is an attitude that strives for fair play, courtesy toward team mates and opponents, ethical behaviour and integrity, and grace in losing. If an athlete or team wins through unethical means, the victory would have been pointless. Although they might have won in name, they have already lost when it comes to being a better and more resposible person.

However, some people believe that winning is important in sports. The general consensus of that group of people is that if you do not win, all your hard work and sweat is wasted. But the truth is far from that. When athletes go through hellish training and make sacrifices, they are disciplining themselves and are pushing their minds and their bodies as a whole. In the long run, they become stronger both in mind and in body. The fame and recognition that comes with winning is only an added plus. Therefore it is absurd to say that just from losing, all the efforts put in will go to waste. Remember the saying “You reap what you sow.”

-Oswell Chan (7)

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