Was watching the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final last night with my Kiwis-educated mates like myself when I read about the Russian plan that crashed with, supposedly, all 224 passengers on board killed.
Tragedy and Celebration of the All Blacks history making 3rd World Cup winning feat and the 1st to successfully defended the World Cup happened around the same time. What do you do?
Which is more important to acknowledge? Should one celebrate the victory or mourn the loss of yet another air disaster?
I decided to acknowledge BOTH.
1. the Russian plane loss of 224 lives
Not sure what happened. Some initial reports said the pilots reported some technical issues before it crashed. If so, that is tragic as it is very much man-made. Maintenance or reckless pushing out of planes to fly as it is supposedly the 'peak' season for Russian tourists to go to the Middle East for holidays?
If not, what could be the reasons? We just have to wait for a while before the air disaster investigators can piece together some semblance of cohesive evidence or conclusion as they had done with many other air disasters that caused many hundreds of lives.
For a frequent regional traveller like myself, it always remind me of how lucky I am each time the plane took off and landed safely. It is a blessing. Yet, every traveller knows, there are risks involved. It cannot be we stop flying just because of that ever present risk.
As many like to quote: 'we probably have more deaths through road accidents than accidents involving planes in mid-flight'.
Condolences to the people who had lost a family member, friend &/or colleagues. RIP to the dead!
2. All Blacks history making 2015 Rugby World Cup win
I read The Straits Times sports page yesterday morning as I came back from Bangkok, Thailand, and was struck, almost for the first time, how the sports reporter had highlighted something special about this particular tournament that I though sports can never be:
a. that it has lived up to the notions that: Rugby is a hooligans game play by gentlemen! That is was astounding to see the South African players, after suffering the most sensational shock in rugby history by losing to the 'never-say-die' Japanese team members, clapped their conquerors off the rugby pitch! MORE amazingly, how the Springboks' fans insisted that the Japanese fans get off the train at Bristol station and applauded them as they moved off, when DEFEATS of their favourite team in Basketball (think LA Laker's loss that trigger rioting in LA in NBA), think the MANY uncountable by now riots and violence against supporters of the victorious team by the losing team in FOOTBALL around the world) and you begin to REALISE how true it is that RUGBY in this 2015 World Cup had shown to the rest of the 'sporting world' what SPORTS, regardless how competitive they are, should be, CAN BE!!;
b. the behaviours of the players towards each other in the heat of fierce 'combat', the injuries they inflicted on each other due to the physicality of the game and NOTHING MORE, DO NOT pre-disposed them to be disrespectful of their opponents! The behaviours of the players towards the referee, who made mistakes here and there, and some of great significance to one team or the other, are one of respect and NOT protests and abuses. Again, contrasts these with that of the 'beautiful game', soccer players. Many are simply prima donna and cry-babies! Sulking spoiled brats complaining to the referees about how they had been wrong!
Another astonishing observation! As one think about the CORRUPT people who run FIFA, one can easily relate HOW LEADERSHIP can make a great difference! How condoning BAD behaviours can easily develop into 'this is HOW it should be done! What's wrong with that!!' culture and mind-set!
c. are Rugby totally unblemished? Are Rugby players Saints? Most likely not. YET, in contrast, in comparison, the observations made, hence these are REAL people and REAL incidents, show that the players, the supporters, and these I called 'real fans' and not the "hooligans in the soccer arenas masquerading as 'fans'", and the administrators ARE Different! They are SPORTS lovers! They are TRUE connoisseur of WHAT SPORTS TRULY MEAN. Especially TEAM SPORT!!
Congratulation to the All Blacks. Kudos to the Wallabies for their gallant fight-back that made the last 13 mins of the Final one of the best personally. Thank you to the Rugby fans for showing ME what True Sports can be, even in an increasingly COMMERCIAL sports world! Thank You. Thank You as we start the pen-ultimate month of 2015!!
Tragedy and Celebration of the All Blacks history making 3rd World Cup winning feat and the 1st to successfully defended the World Cup happened around the same time. What do you do?
Which is more important to acknowledge? Should one celebrate the victory or mourn the loss of yet another air disaster?
I decided to acknowledge BOTH.
1. the Russian plane loss of 224 lives
Not sure what happened. Some initial reports said the pilots reported some technical issues before it crashed. If so, that is tragic as it is very much man-made. Maintenance or reckless pushing out of planes to fly as it is supposedly the 'peak' season for Russian tourists to go to the Middle East for holidays?
If not, what could be the reasons? We just have to wait for a while before the air disaster investigators can piece together some semblance of cohesive evidence or conclusion as they had done with many other air disasters that caused many hundreds of lives.
For a frequent regional traveller like myself, it always remind me of how lucky I am each time the plane took off and landed safely. It is a blessing. Yet, every traveller knows, there are risks involved. It cannot be we stop flying just because of that ever present risk.
As many like to quote: 'we probably have more deaths through road accidents than accidents involving planes in mid-flight'.
Condolences to the people who had lost a family member, friend &/or colleagues. RIP to the dead!
2. All Blacks history making 2015 Rugby World Cup win
I read The Straits Times sports page yesterday morning as I came back from Bangkok, Thailand, and was struck, almost for the first time, how the sports reporter had highlighted something special about this particular tournament that I though sports can never be:
a. that it has lived up to the notions that: Rugby is a hooligans game play by gentlemen! That is was astounding to see the South African players, after suffering the most sensational shock in rugby history by losing to the 'never-say-die' Japanese team members, clapped their conquerors off the rugby pitch! MORE amazingly, how the Springboks' fans insisted that the Japanese fans get off the train at Bristol station and applauded them as they moved off, when DEFEATS of their favourite team in Basketball (think LA Laker's loss that trigger rioting in LA in NBA), think the MANY uncountable by now riots and violence against supporters of the victorious team by the losing team in FOOTBALL around the world) and you begin to REALISE how true it is that RUGBY in this 2015 World Cup had shown to the rest of the 'sporting world' what SPORTS, regardless how competitive they are, should be, CAN BE!!;
b. the behaviours of the players towards each other in the heat of fierce 'combat', the injuries they inflicted on each other due to the physicality of the game and NOTHING MORE, DO NOT pre-disposed them to be disrespectful of their opponents! The behaviours of the players towards the referee, who made mistakes here and there, and some of great significance to one team or the other, are one of respect and NOT protests and abuses. Again, contrasts these with that of the 'beautiful game', soccer players. Many are simply prima donna and cry-babies! Sulking spoiled brats complaining to the referees about how they had been wrong!
Another astonishing observation! As one think about the CORRUPT people who run FIFA, one can easily relate HOW LEADERSHIP can make a great difference! How condoning BAD behaviours can easily develop into 'this is HOW it should be done! What's wrong with that!!' culture and mind-set!
c. are Rugby totally unblemished? Are Rugby players Saints? Most likely not. YET, in contrast, in comparison, the observations made, hence these are REAL people and REAL incidents, show that the players, the supporters, and these I called 'real fans' and not the "hooligans in the soccer arenas masquerading as 'fans'", and the administrators ARE Different! They are SPORTS lovers! They are TRUE connoisseur of WHAT SPORTS TRULY MEAN. Especially TEAM SPORT!!
Congratulation to the All Blacks. Kudos to the Wallabies for their gallant fight-back that made the last 13 mins of the Final one of the best personally. Thank you to the Rugby fans for showing ME what True Sports can be, even in an increasingly COMMERCIAL sports world! Thank You. Thank You as we start the pen-ultimate month of 2015!!
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