What is sporting excellence? Can it be defined or is it an intangible that means different things to different people at different times.
For sure, only success can’t denote sporting excellence. Because success itself is subjective – if the stupendous achievements of Novac Djokovic comprise our definition of success, then was Boris Becker – one of the most exciting tennis player the world has seen – a failure?
In a recent interview, when Wasim Akram was asked who, in his view, was the most “complete batsman” he had bowled to, Akram named Martin Crowe. So, no Sachin Tendular, no Brian Lara; for Akram it was Martin Crowe who personified excellence as an opponent.
Perhaps it is best then to leave defining sporting excellence to the sports’ greatest. Because they have been there – seen success, tasted failure, climbed the peaks and plunged the depths, experienced excellence in great victories and glimpsed it in defeats.
Here is how some of the greatest have defined/described excellence:
For sure, only success can’t denote sporting excellence. Because success itself is subjective – if the stupendous achievements of Novac Djokovic comprise our definition of success, then was Boris Becker – one of the most exciting tennis player the world has seen – a failure?
In a recent interview, when Wasim Akram was asked who, in his view, was the most “complete batsman” he had bowled to, Akram named Martin Crowe. So, no Sachin Tendular, no Brian Lara; for Akram it was Martin Crowe who personified excellence as an opponent.
Perhaps it is best then to leave defining sporting excellence to the sports’ greatest. Because they have been there – seen success, tasted failure, climbed the peaks and plunged the depths, experienced excellence in great victories and glimpsed it in defeats.
Here is how some of the greatest have defined/described excellence:
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