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Game, set and match to sportsmanship as humility triumphs
THE epic battle that unfolded between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on Wimbledon's centre court was a joy to behold. Here was a gladiatorial contest served up by two sportsmen at the peak of their powers, and one that will be remembered for many years to come.
But as well as demonstrating their sporting brilliance, the two best tennis players in the world showed that humility has not
yet disappeared from our sporting arenas.
"For sure he is still the number one," Nadal said afterwards, speaking of his vanquished opponent. "He is the five-times champion and I only have one."
Federer was equally gracious in defeat. "I tried everything
but Rafa is a deserving champion, he played fantastic. It's been a joy to play here. It's a pity I couldn't win it in the circumstances, but I'll be back next year."
It was a fitting end to the match and proved that you don't need an inflated ego to be a great sportsman. Federer and Nadal displayed none of the "big I am" attitude that we too often see with some of our
top footballers.
The pressure of a grand slam tennis final is no less intense than that of a top-of-the-table Premier League clash, but we don't see umpires subjected to a volley of expletives in the way that referees frequently are.
Nor do we see the kind of behaviour that tarnished last season's Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester United. What had hitherto been an absorbing match erupted at the end of 90 minutes, when Chelsea striker Didier Drogba was sent off for slapping United defender Nemanja Vidic.
One of the most unsavoury recent incidents involved England's Ashley Cole, who turned his back on referee Mike Riley as he tried to book him for a late tackle during a Premier League match against Tottenham that left an opposing player in a crumpled heap on the ground.
Cole later apologised for the tackle, but his behaviour was roundly criticised and left a nasty taste in the mouth.
Some people believe these episodes of bad sportsmanship are a sign of the times, pointing out that you never saw Bobby Charlton arguing with a referee. But Adrian Schonfeld, senior lecturer in sports and exercise psychology at Leeds Metropolitan University, believes that modern footballers don't always deserve such a bad press.
"When a player gets injured the opposition now kick the ball into touch so he can get treatment. It's not in the rules but it's become part of the game in this country, and it's a good example of sportsmanship. But it oftengets washed over by the negative stories that grab the headlines."
Neither does he think that gamesmanship in sport is necessarily a modern phenomenon.
"It was only 15 years ago that Vinnie Jones was playing football and he had a bad reputation. And if you're talking about tennis, then 20 years
ago you had John McEnroe who was a classic player but a completely different personality from someone like Roger Federer."
Footballers aren't the only ones to attract criticism, though. England's cricketers not only lost the one-day series against New Zealand recently, but faced accusations of poor sportsmanship.
However, Schonfeld argues this is nothing new. "I remember there was a one-day match between Australia and New Zealand in the early 1980s where New Zealand needed six runs off the last ball to win and the Aussie bowler was told to bowl underarm."
Different sports, he says, have different cultures. "If you take tennis, you don't see Federer having a go at Nadal over the net – it just doesn't happen. It's the same with rowing, you don't see the cox yelling abuse at his opposite number.
"But in cricket this kind of 'sledging' is more acceptable. It's seen as part of the game to wind up your opponent. A batsman almost expects that a slip fielder will have a go at him."
Yes, it might have come to be part of the sport, but it doesn't necessarily make for a better game.
Ultimately, sportsmanship comes down to individual players, although it's depressing to think how many starry-eyed youngsters are picking up bad habits from watching their sporting idols today.
"People learn by imitating others, especially those sportsmen who get rewarded for doing what they do. So if players are seen talking to a referee in a certain way, and seen to get away it, then people will copy them," says Schonfeld.
At a time when great sports like athletics and football often attract more criticism than praise, it's perhaps all the more reason to celebrate the sporting endeavours, and true sportsmanship, of great stars like Federer and Nadal.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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