Modern players need to hate to lose

When I was young, in the early 1990s, I used to wait for the paperboy every morning for the latest event in the sporting world and the images in those newspapers etched in my heart deeper than the neo-media images that has little impact in a sporting aspirant’s mentality. The celebration of Brazilian footballer Branco – not so popular even for an average Brazilian football fan – after the winning goal against the Dutch in 1994 World Cup and Miandad’s gesture at Melbourne ground after clinching the 1992 Cricket World Cup title is as fresh as Mario Gotze goal in the last edition of FIFA World Cup final. The sporting arena has evolved drastically over the past decade so as the athletes involved in the games. Technology engulfed the sporting industry and players, as well, as the modern game setters are born in laboratories as against the streets or play grounds where traditionally athletes tends to develop their sporting embryo. This resulted in shifting the approach of players, at least the greatest warriors in modern sports, rather than from ‘love to win’ to ‘hate to lose’.

 The classic examples are the recent meteoric rise and success of Virat Kohli in international cricket and the Swedish Olympic gold medalist Carolina Kluft. And it was not mere talent that helped those athletes to achieve such greatness in their career but the attitude to the game as we can see contrasting style of surplus talents in international sports, the likes of Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma and Italian footballer Mario Balletelli. These are two contrasting sets of players; one loves to win game for themselves and the others hate to lose it. The latter group are fighting themselves to sharpen their skills during the practice but the former loves winning momentum and entertain the spectators but quite often succumb to challenges. On the other hand, one set of players will be more motivated on a losing cause and shows improved adaptability in challenging situation where they will raise bar of performance to make sure their team cross the final hurdle and vice versa.

Both Ballotelli and Rohit had gained more applauds from the sports pundit as teenagers and even rated as the future of their teams. Whereas when time wore on it was the latter category stamped their authority at the game by raising their level of performances through sheer training. Again Balotelli career, as case study, never shown sporting gesture resulted lack of consistency in performance and his positon in the team. The number of teams he played at the age of 25 is a pure evidence the player’s incompetency to handle the match situation let alone off the pitch fatalities. “The problem is because of his age; he can make some mistakes. He's Mario. He's crazy – but I love him because he's a good guy." Manchester City manager had once categorically defended his troublesome striker for his misbehave at the pitch. None of the bosses in the present world wants to support these kind of players as the sports become increasingly commercialized day in and day out where the margin of errors is smaller than an atom.

Since the tolerance of mistake is close to zero in a mouthwatering match all managesr would love field and fill with the players who do not want to lose, in their armory, rather than a player who win the game in style on a day when the rest of the team supports him. Whereas the former category of players reacts audaciously when the situation challenges their skill and mettle and win the game for the team. The innings of Kohli against Australia and Pakistan are two perfect examples and both could even have been ended in a losing cause. The 2004 Olympic and three times world heptathlon champion Carolina is one of the three women athlete who crossed 7000 points mark in this event. Unlike any other track and field individual competitions heptathlon needs multi-skill and greater mental and physical fitness which ultimately takes the toll on athletes and force an early retirement. Carolina was no different in this regards but her performance in Athens with injured legs to win the gold medal one of the glittering moments in 2004 editions. The emotional press conference after podium finish the Kluft articulated “I knew I could do well but I just went out there and tried to do my best - and here I am." Such was the prowess to grasp the victory by overpowering all injury concerns, such was the mettle not to succumb to defeat meekly.

The team filled with flair and aspiration to win the matches can win as many games in a season but not the trophy. The needs those haters of losing games as they will bring trophies not matches. The words of Alex Ferguson, arguably the best manager, sports have ever seen once said “strikers win the games but defenders win the trophies for his team”. In contrast strikers play to win whereas defenders play not to lose their battle.

Abdul Gafoor