OLYMPIC SPIRIT

Is winning and getting gold, silver and bronze the only spirit that the four yearly once event ‘OLYMPICS’ brings to us? Guess not, at least not to me. No, I am not a sportsperson or constant follower of sports. I am a mere listener of stories of glory and a person who cheers on competitors in almost any sport (from Spell Bee to Cricket to the Olympics). I once came across a beautiful friendship story. The friendship of Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar. We have heard about Sushil, who has held our flag in the London Olympics inauguration march. Sushil’s name was included in our description of his glorious Bronze medal won in 2008, Beijing Olympics. The humane touch in him was displayed when he stood beside his friend Yogeshwar who had two consecutive knee injuries and a problematic back. His injuries forced him to think about retirement. Yogeshwar went for treatment in South Africa. South Africa did wonders to him and he came back fit and fine. But his confidence to step into the ring once again was lost. Once again, his dear friend Sushil stepped in He had became a regular visitor of Yogi’s home and started to practice with him.  Sushil not only made Yogi reconsider his decision of retirement but also filed a nomination in Yogi’s name before he filed his own in the London Olympics. Yogi won a bronze and Sushil, a silver in their respective events and made sure that they did not fail each other and the nation…

                More than the participation or their victory in Olympics 2012, the overwhelming feeling of friendship and fellowship that Sushil showed is worth mentioning.    

              So is the case of Mary Kom, better known as ‘Magnificent Mary ‘. She is a petite female boxer formally named as Chungneijung Hmangte, a Christian from the land dominated by Hindus and Muslims. She is 29 years old, a mother of two, who, fighting all the odds of a male dominant world and not considering the menace around her, fought to get us bronze for an event which was not hers (she fought for 51 kg weight class whereas her real event was 48 kg. She fought for the tougher one because there was no consideration for 48 kg weight class in the Olympic Games). Added to her glory is the fact that she was the one who encouraged, rather, forced the Olympic authority to have women’s boxing included in the Olympics.

Kukku

III BA (PjoE)

WALK BESIDE ME

You used to walk beside me,

Holding me, irritating me, teasing me,

Swinging my tiny hand cuddled in yours

In the open air as a newly found toy.

Proud, head held high,

I used to walk beside you,

In the rush of showing off.

I forgot the paths we walked,

May be it had puddles and pebbles,

Stones and pain,

Once, twice, I jerked, I even trembled,

You held me…you walked beside me;

Then why did you leave me alone on my chosen path ahead?

Was I bad? Did I make some mistake?

I have not had the gratification, the happiness,

The glee from the moment you decided to stay back

Wasn’t the pain enough

That you oblige me to hold different hands

Where once were your hands.

I have walked ahead, miles ahead,

Have held many hands…strong, tiny, soft

But never the hands as yours.

Can’t assure you the same me because

I have reached far ahead of you

The wind, the dust, the rain, the suns

Have changed me a lot.

But I assure you that I would

Love you, walking beside each other not shouting,

Not irritating one another, in silence of

Understanding that the tired, old hands of yours

Which sent me alone to conquer world and hearts,

Is safe beside me.

Let’s walk beside one another again papa.

Kukku B.

III BA (PJoE)