Sports is known to embody the spirit of freedom in any nation, allowing its people to take the leap of faith in all aspects of life. With the 78th Independence Day of India fast approaching, it’s important to remember the sporting moments wherein the players displayed their sportsmanship spirit, inspiring its people to do the same.
In this article, SportsTiger looks at a few Indian sporting moments embodying the spirit of freedom and sportsmanship.
Virat Kohli tells fans to stop booing Steve Smith during ODI World Cup 2019
During the ODI World Cup 2019 match at The Oval in London, the fans were not kind towards Steve Smith after his return to the sport following the Sandpaper saga a year prior. Virat Kohli, who was the captain of India at the time, waved his hand towards the fans in the grandstand, gesturing them to stop booing Steve Smith in a great display of sportsmanship spirit.
PV Sindhu puts Carolina Marin’s racquet in her bag at Rio Olympics 2016
After losing the gold medal match in the women’s singles badminton event at the Rio Olympics 2016, a visibly saddened PV Sindhu helped Carolina Marin to her feet after the wild celebration from the Spaniard, wherein she had flung her racquet. Although Marin didn’t realise where her tool of the trade was, Sindhu saw it laying on the court before picking it up and placing it inside the bag of the new Olympic champion.
Indian players help Iranian counterpart to put hijab back in its place at Asian Games 2014
During the Asian Games 2014 gold medal match in Incheon, the Indian women’s kabaddi team showcased spirit of sportsmanship by helping their Iranian counterpart who had her hijab displaced in the heat of the battle. When the Iranian player found herself in an awkward situation, all set to lose a point for her team, the Indian players decided to stop the play before helping their opponent cover her face while putting the hijab back in place.
Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem embrace after finishing on podium at Asian Games 2018
The Indian athletics superstar, Neeraj Chopra, won the gold medal for the first time at the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018, while Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan won the bronze medal in the same event. Following this, on the podium, the Indian and the Pakistan athletes warmly embraced each other, signifying how sportsmanship can transcend borders with just an act of kindness and gratitude.