Rivalries in sport, Boon or curse??

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            Rivalries in sport are widely considered as a critical factor that is tangible to every global competition. Be it the ICC Cricket World Cup, the Premier League or the Ashes, fans relate to these competitions on an emotional level. Growing up in school I was always taught about respecting every match, play it like it's your last match and your life depends upon it. 

            Then puberty hit during the later years, and I started understanding the global dynamics of sporting competitions in different countries. It took me a while to understand why Indian fans found more happiness in beating Pakistan during World Cups, even if India did not win the world cup. Why Alex Fergusson kept saying that the first goal is to make sure Liverpool does not win the title. Why contemporary Ashes players (primarily English) felt like winning the Ashes was often bigger than winning the World Cup.

            There is a reason every team and player has many opponents but few enemies, if any at all. The number of children that watch live sport is at an all-time high and rising by the day. If they are going to grow up watching managers and athletes and fans having a mindset of about not losing to someone, rather than trying to win, that in my humble opinion is the definition of a loser's mentality.

I understand that fans are born out of historic moments and events. These fans and their emotions are the fulcrum of any team and if they believe that beating one team is more important than the other, then so be it, but the moment the players and coaches start thinking and performing to cater for those thoughts, it is the beginning of the end. 

 Ask yourself this question today, Is beating Pakistan bigger than winning the World Cup? If your answer is Yes, do yourself a favour and stay away from coaching.








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