Song of Sports in Tennis
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Glamour is now part and parcel of sports. Sania Mirza at the SLTA courts when she came down with her husband Shoiab Malik - File pic
The purpose of Sports is to enhance the five physical abilities of man, that is strength, suppleness, speed, stamina and stability, to perfect disciplines of Sport. In any other form, Sport does not provide the benefit for which it was meant to, when it was created in ancient Greece. Sport is for participation and never intended to be another form of opium to fans.
Until recently, the Davis-Cup and the Fed-Cup, the two annual team events of Tennis, were played in a sane atmosphere. This ambiance can be still seen in the four Grand-Slams. The Davis-Cup ambiance of the past 100 years is the ‘reason’ behind Tennis prospering in the world. This has changed. One of the ill effects of this change is its inability to attract the best players to participate. The Davis-Cup’s focus is no more towards exhibition of good Tennis. This change of tune, can alter Tennis popularity in the world and unfortunately, not to the best.
It is inevitable, that things change in this world. The trend for two decades to entertain ‘fans’, than to enhance sporting skills, has led to the downfall of sporting values in the world. ‘Doping and steroids’ are maladies from which Sports suffered, are from fan appeasement. The trend has led Sports towards regimented militarism than skills, pride than sporting instincts, sponsorship than sporting values, lucrative administration than to foster talent and stadiums than everyday playing facilities. On the whole, we have been undermining sporting values in too many ways. We are guilty.
Changing values
These developments have broken the link between players and sporting skills. The question is, will Sport last this onslaught? Or, am I far too late to pose the question. We have abandoned ‘Sports for skills’ ideal and gone overboard in other directions. The threat to Sports now is ‘within’ and ‘one’ enemy within is more dangerous than an army outside.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a marvelous footballer. I assure you, many know how much he earned, than his dazzling technique of footwork and the secret of his canny positioning to score. I once witnessed a fan pulling out a pistol and shooting into the packed Football stadium in Holland. I am sure, he did not have any sporting skills and used the match as a platform to express himself to the ‘fans’ there. It was such a puzzle to understand. Why has the ‘Song of Sport’, if I may call it so, changed so much in the last few decades?
The chant that rings in a Football stadium is very close to that of a medieval army going to war. Sports was never about going to war. Unfortunately, Football is ‘big’ enough to change the tune in other Sports. The mega money in it is proving to be a magnet, and dragging many Sports to follow their war model. It is also a reason behind the malpractices in administration.
Hope for Skills
Recently, Brazil performed well to be the winning team in South American Football. The team’s individual and collective skill level is worth commenting on. The things they did with the ball to enhance possession, was beyond anyone’s imagination in artistry, and was an absolute delight to watch. It attracted people to Football. The commentator correctly said their winning was based on their effortless and skillfull method of possession of the ball, they exhibited.
Recent performances of Roger Federer opened my eyes to see what has been happening to skills in Tennis. Sampras and Federer won with their skills. Federer’s skills did not show coming behind Sampras. In a situation where many players are using combat calls and fist clenching, Federer’s skill-based game stands out. It is immensely appealing. It could be arguably said that, Federer’s physical breakdown was due to him deviating from the skill-based game. He is correcting it.
Military approach of power-based game often ‘hit the wall’ in all fronts of progress, and increase injuries. Skills supported with power is the best development.
Song of Silence
While Maria Sharapova’s reappearance after suspension is making news in Tennis, it must be reminded that the spectacle of skills is what made Sports necessary to people and interesting. This sounds to be little of a puritan stance but, this is what made Sport travel 2000 years from its origin. We cannot base Sport on behavior of militancy and expect it to remain popular. War cries and drums are good for fans but, for sporting skills to travel through time ‘Song of Silence’ has proved to be the tested ingredient. Skills need focused mind to achieve heights, and silence gives the space for it.
I would like to predict the re-emergence of skills like that of the Brazilian Footballers and Federer of 2017 will prevail again. The Song of Sport has to change to its original tune, and Sport cannot be used as an ‘opium’ for fans. Sport has to travel another 2000 years and more. Unless the ‘tune of the song’ changes, modern times could be the last of the sporting spectacle of man.
-George Paldano, Former int. player; Accredited Coach of Germany; National, Davis-Cup, Federation Cup captain/coach– geodano2015@gmail.com –