Tonight, I sat riveted to the screen as the Hockeyroos** won gold on a tense penalty shoot-out. I cried when Geoff Huegill made a golden comeback and Sally Pearson clinched victory in the hurdles. I even sat up many a night to watch medals snatched from our grasp.
As spectators, we like to coach from the sideline. Cheering. Pumping fists and, in our house, squealing. We love the glory but can also be harsh critics. How many times do we think, ‘oh that was easy, I could have done that?’ There’s so much pressure sitting on the couch – not!
Competitors from a variety of nations have impressed me with their accomplishments: Canadian divers, English and Indian runners and the New Zealand hockey team - not to mention our Australian gymnasts.
I am also in awe of the way most athletes hold their head in defeat. Embrace a friend. Kiss a competitor’s coach. Smile when their dream is momentarily shattered. The friendships seem genuine and they share the same humility. Some people I know need to take a leaf out of their book.
The cloud of doubt cast over these Games has long passed. Terrorism, incomplete buildings, debris in the pool, unruly crowds and rats chewing through camera cables can happen anywhere. We need to remember that India is a third world nation and have done a great job in hosting and supporting this event.
Australians may even rewrite history with this as their most successful Commonwealth Games ever…wait and see.
* Sportman/womanship (just too long to fit into sentence)
** Hockeyroos - Australian ladies hockey team
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