Sports engages people from all over the world, doesn’t it? The organisers, teams, players, and everyone involved work together to support economic, political, and ethnic global causes, bringing people worldwide together in the process. Apart from that, fans worldwide engage in social events (virtually now) to support their favourite team or player or give their views. With so many global sporting events lined up, it is such a blissful time for all.

Being a professional footballer and a sports enthusiast, I’ve been limited to participating in sports because of the pandemic. Lately, I’ve started writing on sports which keeps me motivated and focused on my path, as I see these great athletes fight against all odds. Similarly, most of the people around me, whether sportspersons or not, have been enjoying their time watching sports. Even those people who are not usually interested in sports seem to be talking about them as the latest sporting events have been full of drama, emotion, and incredible feats. One could call it a complete entertainment package. Below you can see a few latest examples.

The recently concluded Euro 2020 football matches had been the most entertaining and dramatic tournament of its kind. With Cristiano Ronaldo breaking records yet again, the petrifying collapse of Christian Eriksen, the highest number of own goals (9) in a Euro Cup ever, and Ronaldo’s snub to Coke. It also seemed to be the year of success for many underdog teams as they knocked out giants like France, Germany, and defending champions Portugal. But eventually, one of the giants, Italy, ended up lifting the trophy after a long 53 years. Alongside Euro 2020, the Copa America 2021 was also taking place. Lionel Messi becoming the most capped player for Argentina, Neymar closing in to become the highest international scorer for his country, and the referee’s involvement in Brazil’s equalizer against Colombia had been the talking points until the quarter-finals. But the most important event was that Lionel Messi clinched his first-ever major competition trophy for his country while also being named the Player of the Tournament. His social media post with the Copa America trophy became the most liked post of a sportsperson.

The World Test Championship (WTC) final, which initially seemed boring, took a sharp turn with New Zealand clinching the first-ever World Test Championship. I stopped following the game on Day 5, as it seemed it would end as a draw. However, the next morning I woke up and saw that New Zealand won the match. I could not believe my eyes!

Similarly, a few Euro matches ended in last-minute goals to turn around the game. While conversing with a few of my friends, they experienced the same situation in these matches that I had experienced in the WTC final. I don’t think any of us will ever repeat the mistake of assuming the outcome of the game.

Now, about the story that has inspired me the most lately.

With the Tokyo Olympic Games coming up, I was super exhilarated. In the Olympic qualifiers itself, there had already been some mind-boggling instances. Sir Mo Farah fell short of qualifying, and on the other hand, Allyson Felix qualified for her fifth Olympic Games and her first as a mother.

When I read about Allyson Felix’s story, I couldn’t be more motivated. How she proved everyone wrong who didn’t believe in her comeback and how she did everything just to set an example for her daughter, Camryn. Before Allyson became a mother, she was at the peak of her performance. Everyone wanted to endorse her, but she chose Nike. Although after her pregnancy, Nike put clauses in her contract that indirectly doubted her ability to come back as strong as before. As a result, Allyson rejected the contract and chose to go with Athleta. Today, she proved everyone wrong and set an example, not just for her daughter but for all struggling athletes and women out there. Lately, I’ve been going through some similar struggles to keep up with football, having limited opportunities due to the pandemic, but it’s athletes like these which help me keep my motivation and make me think why I started. 

Now, as the Summer Games have begun, it’s like ‘sports is in the air’. There have been some spectacular performances in the initial stages itself. Australia smashed the world record in women’s 4x100m swimming freestyle relay. Great Britain set a world record by winning Olympics’ first-ever 4x100m mixed medley relay. Simon Biles withdrew from vault and uneven bars finals to focus on her mental health. Kaylee McKeown set the Olympic record for the women's 100m backstroke to win gold, just a month after she set the world record in the same event. American Caeleb Dressel won the gold medal and broke his own world record in the men's 100-meter butterfly. And mixed-gendered sports made a debut at the Olympic Games.

Personally, I believe that watching sports is in itself a way to lock down a sports enthusiast in front of the television. As these sports events began, I could see boring pandemic conversations change to interesting hearty debates between two rivals. It has brought together friends and family once again who were apart due to the pandemic.