The Value of Sports in Life

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The Value of Sports in Life "The true sportsman is he who harmonizes strength and weakness in the interests of harmony and order. —Plato. If we find two men quarreling bitterly in the street, we say to both. "Don't bear any malice. Don't fight like bulls. Take it in a sportsmanlike manner. '' When someone is downcast and wears a long face, we say to him, "Take it easy; be a sportsman.''. All this shows that sports teach a peculiar virtue which is called sportsman-ships—a calm, balanced and accommodating view of life. Sports occupy a prominent place in the life of a nation. They are the ropes that support the health and vitality of a country. They spread the message of hope and good-will among the people. They form a integral part of education. They provide recreation as well as effective instruction in citizenship. They teach a spirit of healthy competition, justice and fair play. The lack of sportsmanship in the world has seriously affected the cause of world peace and one-world government. Broadly speaking there are four varieties of sports. First, there are the Athletics and track events—races, jumps and throws. In the second category, there are various field-games such as Hockey, Football, Cricket, Volleyball, Basketball, Handball, Rugby, Polo, Golf etc. The third kind is concerned with indoor-games such as Badminton, Table Tennis, Tennis, Chess, Carrom, Squash, Billiards, and Gymnastics. Lastly, there are vigorous games like shooting, Aquatics Boxing and Wrestling. All these games require the use of various human faculties—physical strength and stamina, mental skill and swiftness. A true sportsman is that hero of the game, who plays the game for the sake of game without any consideration of victory or defeat, very much like a 'karmayogi' in 'Bhagwada-Gita'. Victory does not make him proud with exultation and defeat does not make him crestfallen. He plays

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