Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is traditional value in sports and competition. It means playing clean and handling both victory and defeat with grace, style, and dignity.[1]
Sportsmanship is generally understood to include
- playing fair[1]
- following the rules of the game[1]
- respecting the judgment of referees and officials[1]
- treating opponents with respect[1]
The ideal of sportsmanship argues that "it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, but how you play the game".[2]
Sportsmanship can be different depending on the game itself or the culture of the group. For example, in the sport of cricket, a player will sometimes acknowledge that he is out by walking off the field, even though the umpires (game officials) had thought that he was not out. In another example, a tennis player who sees a ball go in but is called out by the linesperson could concede the point or suggest the opponent make a challenge, as was the case with professional tennis player Jack Sock on at least two occasions.[3]
Olympic Games
In the context of the Olympic Games, athletes are expected to do their best.[4] Otherwise, they would go against the Olympic motto of "Faster, Higher, Stronger".[5]
Select examples of good sportsmanship
- Eugenio Monti in the bobsleigh at the 1964 Winter Olympics at Innsbruck[6]
- Lawrence Lemieux in sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics at Seoul[7]
- Shin Lam in fencing at the 2012 Summer Olympics at London[8]
Select examples of bad sportsmanship
In the London Olympics, some athletes attempted to lose their badminton matches,[9] including
- Tian Qing, Zhao Yunlei, Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang of China[10]
- Jung Kyung-eun, Kim Ha-na, Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung of South Korea[10]
- Greysia Polii and Meilana Jauhari of Indonesiaз[4]
Sportsmanship Media
Shaking hands after a match is considered a symbol of good sportsmanship.
These two teams of young football (soccer) players line up and high-five after a game to practice good sportsmanship.
A moment of sportsmanship when John Landy helped Ron Clarke get up after he had fallen.
Related pages
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Kidshealth.org, "Sportsmanship"; retrieved 2012-8-3.
- ↑ Kendrick, Carleton, "Teaching Good Sportsmanship," FamilyEducation.com; retrieved 2012-8-3.
- ↑ "Concepts of Sportsmanship Vary Across Cultures". Big Think. 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Oktavinanda, Pramudya A. "The Olympic Scandal: Sportsmanship Issue or Poor Strategy?" Jakarta Globe (Indonesia). August 3, 2012; retrieved 2012-8-3.
- ↑ Zhu Yuan. "Sportsmanship more important," China Daily (PRC). 3 August 2012; retrieved 2012-8-3.
- ↑ SportsReference.com (SR/Olympics), "Eugenio Moni" Archived 2020-04-17 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-8-3.
- ↑ "Lemieux's sportsmanship still recognized," Archived 2011-06-28 at the Wayback Machine Edmonton Journal (Canada). March 13, 2008; retrieved 2012-8-3.
- ↑ Fencing's Shin Lam offered 'consolation prize' following display of sportsmanship," Independent (UK). 31 July 2012; retrieved 2012-8-3.
- ↑ Cole, Cam. "Expelled Olympic badminton players win gold for lack of subtlety," National Post (Canada). August 1, 2012; retrieved 2012-8-3.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Leicester, John. "Sportsmanship smashed just like a shuttlecock," Peoria Journal Star (US). August 1, 2012; excerpt, "Between the Olympic ideal and the Olympic reality is a trap that eight badminton players fell into at London 2012. They didn’t cheat. Instead, they tried to win — by deliberately trying to lose"; retrieved 2012-8-3.