Sporting lessons, writes Priyanka Chaturvedi

We have (finally) won... a bronze at the Olympics! Trust our girls to take charge when it comes to breaking the no-medal-at-Olympics jinx. Sakshi Malik didn’t just win a bronze, she scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to have brought the medal glory home! The Rakhi tradition says that brothers give a gift to their sisters on the day, but on Raksha Bandhan. Sakshi has ended up being the one who has gifted the nation loads of happiness. The times they are a-changing! 

Sakshi Malik’s victory becomes all the more special as she comes from a state which has a skewed sex ratio. Hopefully, this win would change the tide for the state. For many of our other athletes, it was a near-miss at winning the medal, but their attempts made them win our hearts. Now over to PV Sindhu!

I do not follow much of the sports as much as I do of the athletes, who have made the final cut to represent their nation in a global arena. Not just India, but many of the athletes representing their countries have a story to share of their struggle to reach the Olympics. As I write this, there is a story of how Argentina’s Santiago Lange survived cancer to become Rio’s oldest gold medalist. While a 15-year-old Mima Ito from Japan became the youngest medallist at the games. The tales of grit and determination, I can never tire reading. 

As the season continues, it isn’t just about the stories of grit, guts and determination but there are also some heartwarming stories emerging. The stories of love in the time of sporting glory. There are stories of bonhomie between athletes of countries one would never imagine could even stand together in the same frame forget clicking selfies. There are stories of how heroes in your childhood could also be beaten at their own game if you followed their dedication just as sincerely as they have over the years to be the best in their game as we saw in swimming. There are, of course, the ones who refuse to leave their foul attitude behind as one saw in Judo.

However, what is most heartwarming is that 11,400 athletes from 205 nations while competing with each other are also cordial and respectful of each other, barring a few instances. The world collectively cheered for Yusra Mardini, who was competing under the International Olympic Committee flag as part of the refugee team. She may not have won a medal, but she had the world united in cheering the loudest for her. 

This is the team spirit that the world at large is clearly needs, but is  missing right now. Instead of focusing on building a world our children would be proud to inherit we are inadvertently making them a fearful lot who find it difficult to trust. Hopefully, some of these sporting lessons and their discipline will inspire all of us!