Pride and country

In a world of sport that is so commercialized and hype-driven; where globalization has doused the fire of nationalism, the Olympics bring tears of joy and relief. I cried as Tirunesh Dibaba ran a last lap that defied human limitation in the women’s 10,000 metres and as Shawn Johnson lost the gold in the gymnastics all-round to Nastia Liukin. These were superhero performances devoid of monetary gain, lucrative deals or sponsorship plans. They were for pride and country. Now, two of our boxers are one bout away, each, from a guaranteed medal. I’ll be happy to cry again.