The hope, glory and honor

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The Olympic games have proven to be an event full of highs and lows, ups and downs. So the badminton team is back from Beijing, with a silver medal to be proud of…although there was a flicker of hope that the medal could have been a gold one, and that on that fateful night, we would see Lee Chong Wei standing proud and tall on the highest step of the podium, with the strains of the Negaraku playing loudly.

Still, I am mighty proud that we walked away with a silver medal, and at least now we see Malaysia on the medal tally board.

Of course, there are plenty of comments and remarks about the straight-set match.

“He was nervous.”

“He lost confidence after losing those first few points to Lin Dan.”

“Lin Dan had home ground advantage.”

“Chong Wei felt the pressure.”

After the match, some people even say,”Aiyo, what a waste…he missed his chance of getting that RM1 million.”

But seriously, is that what’s important in winning a gold medal for your country? Is the RM1 million proverbial dangling carrot the impetus that drives our sportsmen (and sportswomen) to aim for excellence? Shouldn’t our sportsmen show their true patriotic attitudes with pride and genuinely say and believe that they are doing it for their country? For the honor, for the glory, and for the pride and love that they have in their hearts for their homeland, which we sing (all together now) – “tanah tumpahnya darahku”.

Because the truth is, sports people in some other countries are mostly just volunteers. Well, those who do well certainly gain from sponsorships and endorsements, but those who don’t, they just do it for their country, believe it or not. That is why tears are shed when the national anthem is played. These athletes are touched that their efforts have paid off.

So really, do you think the attitudes and mindsets of Malaysians should change? Or the problem could lie in the way we are governed today. What say you?