Maintaining timing, discipline of routine and a regularity brings with it a certain quality of life conduct, which is filled with the excitement to perform. Suddenly the mundane does not seem so; an energized body begins to take over activities that would otherwise have been subjected to a thought process. Should it be done or not, or perhaps it should be done another day, or perhaps never. It really is all in the mind. Will it and it shall happen. Else it shall not.
I have referred to it before how the importance of sport and entertainment bring recognition for a nation. The human has since its creation been an animal that habitually enjoys supremacy. Its supremacy was invigorated by the lure of richer and greater pastures of extension to their existing domain. And in this quest for fulfilling that, has been fighting wars. A battle for a particular region, a war to capture more, to be in ruling of lands that were larger and provided greater wealth than their own, was the objective.
History has documented many such efforts by several leaders and kings, and has also given great detail to the many conflicts that arose in the shape of a war.
The last such effort was observed during World War II. After that and looking at the spoils of it, the world community decided that it should all be put to an end, for in war we were destroying ourselves. So the War ended and has not erupted till date, thank the Lord, and perhaps never shall, keeping in mind the utter and complete destruction of a nuclear operation, which now many countries profess to possess.
The battle for supremacy however has not ended. It has merely shifted from armed combat to one where the capability of one is more than the capability of the other. So soon after WWII ended the Cold War took shape. Two nations that were together in destroying a common enemy, became hostile to each other and we had this on going USA vs USSR prospect.
The iron curtain was lifted, the system changed from a Communist regime to one more democratic in USSR. A division and breaking up of the Soviet occurred, and now Russia and Ukraine and Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and Georgia … and others have formed themselves individually.
The fight for supremacy having shifted to sports, created the most lasting and serious contests in that field between the United States and the Soviet Union. These two countries battled it out on the playing field, on development of technology, be it the atomic bomb or the latest aircraft or gun. there was immense posturing between the two. If one did x the other did y or close to it. Yuri Gagarin was the first astronaut in space, and the Americans wanted to follow suit, in fact try and outshine the Russians. The Cold War became almost romanticized.
But ever since the break up of the Soviet Union, the scenario has shifted to that other enviable power house, China. The Americans, debatably the most powerful country on the planet, switched from Russia to the other emerging great power China. In the Olympic competitions that take place now, the medals tally is a race between these two countries. The others are there too, but far behind. Sport has replaced war in a sense, though the competition in the sporting events are no less than a war.
We know more about who succeeded in a particular sporting event, than who the Defense Minister of China is, or of America for that matter. The worth and standing of a country then, is known and dependent on how they stand in a particular sporting event. This is their version of supremacy - how many medals were won by which country ! China is ahead of the United States at this moment in the medals tally, by a small margin. Who knows they may even overtake them in time. But we shall be more interested in this than what the politics of a nation beckons us to know.
Moral of the story ! The sportsman of the country are the flag bearers of national identity, along with many other categories too. Give them the respect and support that they so desperately need, for they shall signify for you the standing of your nation.
Enough said and bantered .. time to … yes … Love to all....
DiL
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