- Inarguably, there is something unique about how a deeply ingrained sporting culture of a country bridges the yawning gap between the citizens and the government during times of crisis. While the day-to-day rigmarole and administration are often cynical and at loggerheads, sports have a unique ability to not only bridge the existing and non-existent gaps but also forge long-lasting bonds among diverse communities for the greater good of the nation. Time and again, this compelling aspect has been demonstrated worldwide. When people face existential challenges, they regroup to celebrate groundbreaking sporting excellence. In doing so, they demonstrate how a nation should stand united and celebrate its sporting achievements without any strings.
PC: Reuters
- The Indian citizens’ fondness for cricket is known around the world. That cricket is profoundly popular, enjoying the undivided attention of people from every walk of life, needs no further elaboration either. That cricket is considered no less than a religion shows how much Indians love their sport, encouraging steady performers to become celebrities and renowned personalities. The recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sri Lanka, once again underscored the game’s popularity. People closely following the fortunes of cricket in India must have had their apprehensions and circumspection come out in the open when South Africa soundly thrashed Team India in the Super 8s.
PC: Outlook India
- Mind you, Team India entered the competition as the favourites to lift the much-coveted trophy even though history suggested that no team has won the World Cup successively, and more so, as the host nation. While the history was stacked against the trend, Team India, by virtue of being endowed with a group of go-getters attuned to perform at incredible levels, was priming itself to rewrite the history books. The way Team India responded after the spanking from South Africa was a fascinating tale of grit, determination, belief, and never-say-die attitude coming to the fore as they steamrolled teams like Zimbabwe, West Indies, England in the semi-finals, and New Zealand in the one-sided finals. The pressure to perform must have been unimaginable.
PC: Hindustan Times
- At the cost of sounding cliched, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going was amply demonstrated as Team India clinically went about demolishing opposition threats with such a convincing display of performances. The whole cricket-crazy nation must have felt extremely elated and delighted as it celebrated the triumph amid a worrying geopolitical and geostrategic scenario unfolding around the world and us. Of course, why deprive the joys of life if it can take away our minds from the pressing challenges staring us in the face? The moment the last wicket was gobbled up in the finals, the whole country went up in unabashed celebration, hailing the awe-inspiring achievements of Team India. Cricket has the power to unite us Indians. Period.
