Truly inspirational
WE watch sports to see who wins and loses, but also to be inspired — and 2016 offered plenty of examples of the latter, from a touching moment between two strangers on the Olympic track, to a little boy from a war-torn land who met his favourite football player, to a warm ovation fuelled by empathy for a visiting NHL goalie.
Moments and feelings that will be recalled more vividly than any numbers on a result sheet or etched in bright lights on a scoreboard.
There were athletes and coaches whose stories touched us, as well as folks connected to the sports world who contributed their own uplifting vignettes.
One example: When sideline reporter Craig Sager died from leukaemia this month, there were heartfelt tributes tinged with sadness, of course, but also remembrances that spread the positive message he offered as he continued to cover the NBA and college basketball despite his illness.
“Man, life is too beautiful, too wonderful. There’s just too many things,” Sager said in August. “It’s not just you. It’s your family and kids and all. Fight. Fight until the end. Fight as hard as you can.”
Some inspiring sports moments during the past year: Vibrant chants of “Si se puede!” resomain nated around Rio’s tennis stadiunseeded um as Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig beat Germany’s Angelique Kertwo ber — who would win Grand Slam titles in 2016 and take over the No 1 ranking — to become her island’s first gold medallist in any Olympic sport. As the Puerto Rican anthem echoed around an Olympic arena and spectalyrics, tors belted out the Monica was unable to join in for one simple reason: too many tears. “If I would’ve stopped crying,” Monica said, “I probably would have started singing.” Takes something special for supporters of one team to salute a player for an opponent that won a game, and that’s what happened early in the NHL season in Edmonton. The Oilers’ fans gave Senators goalie Craig Anderson a standing ovation as he made 37 saves for a shutout in Ottawa’s 2-0 victory over Edmonton — his first start since learning his wife had been diagnosed with cancer.