Mt Everest of Human Endeavours

I read Amitabh Bachann's comments in a newspaper about what he likes to read. It was a beautiful comment that said, "I like reading the sports page as they highlight Human achievment and avoid the front page as they highlight human failures". The comment is an echo of what I feel each day when I open the newspaper and as long back as I can recollect I have always read last page to first....as though a subconscious way of reiterating this comment. May-Jun 2010 is a feast for sports lovers - its a spread of best of Tennis, football and continuing overdose of cricket. The list of countries in the world cup soccer astonishes me as some of them are so tiny that you would not even know they exist if it was not for their football skills. An equally strong emotion that hits me is shame....being such a huge country, we are unable to produce a football team capable of competing at international level. Those of you following tennis would be aware of the Marathon match that lasted for 3 days, went to a tie break of 70-68 and created a record. This is surely a new Mt Everest of Human endeavour. How did those players, umpires and even audience survive the effort and tension for 3 days I wonder? The end result of this kind of game is surely only winners no losers. For that matter any sports that I have talked about here...there maybe winning and losing teams but when you see the spirit behind the game its only victory. A victory of strength, stamina, determination, hardwork, practice....my my all excellent qualities that are the heart & soul of achievement! Thanks to this wonderful world of sports - that gives us a respite from the mundane dramas of politics, terrorism's gruisesomeness and sinful honour killings....atleast makes me get reassured that Life is not all about evil over good.