Gerald D'Cunha

  “How a person wins and loses is much more important than how much a person wins and loses.” Tom Krause   O ne of the things I dreaded, when I was in school, was when I was called to the Headmaster’s/Principal’s office on any complaint from my teachers. The thing, that I dreaded the most, was when my parents were called to school! Both, my father and mother had not been to school like they wanted their sons to… They were simple folks. About my relationship with them – well, I was their favourite… They, always, believed, that I was the good sheep in their pack and wouldn’t let them down. Maybe, this was the reason, why I was most scared to tell them, that the Headmaster/Principal wanted to see them! Did my parents, always, try to inculcate good values in me? Well, which parents wouldn’t? I don’t think, we learn to imbibe good values in life, because our parents, teachers and mentors try to inculcate them in us. I think, we learn to imbibe them, when we learn to...

  “Some things are better than winning.” Claire Annette Noland   I enjoy watching important matches, including cricket. So, I did watch the last few overs of India Vs. England ODI-series decider. My 28-year-old son and 85-year-old father-in-law, who are greater cricket enthusiasts than I am, had watched almost the full match… It was truly a tough match, well-played by both the sides. There was heavy suspense till the last ball. And, finally, as is the case in every well-played game, the team which manages to hold the nerves better, walks away with the trophy… Indian boys did! But, certainly, the England boys – particularly Sam Curran – deserved praise for their fighting spirit… They went down gloriously, like heroes! I am not writing this Post to add my own expert-commentary to yesterday’s game. My knowledge, and update about all sports are very limited. But, I am, always, moved by some subtle things while watching sports… Some little gestures by the players, ca...

“I tell the kids: Somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose; Just   don’t’ fight about it… Just try to get better.” Yogi Berra   E very sports person – be it a Sprinter, Boxer, Baseball or Basketball player, Tennis or Badminton player, Cricket, Hockey, Football, Pole Vault, Horse-riding, Swimming, Cycling, Motor bike, Boat or Car race whatever be it – knows this: 1.     He has to be in his best form, and he has to, always, play to win. 2.     He can’t win in every game… Sometimes, he can lose. 3.     When he wins, he should be humble and magnanimous in victory. 4.     When he loses, he should be graceful and respectful in his defeat. 5.     Conceding defeat and congratulating the winner are part of every championship. 6.     Finally, a game is only a game; it’s not Life, or the end of it! As a spectator, we all tend to involve intensely in the games that we watch. ...

A round 10.30 last night, when I last saw the score of India-Pakistan world-cup cricket-match, I knew, that India would win the match. So, I went off to sleep... It was a deep sleep. I was, literally, thrown off the bed when crackers created a ruckus outside our window and all around, near and far. “We won,” my wife declared... Well, we both lost our sleep, then on! We had won against two formidable teams earlier – South Africa and Australia. But, we did not see the kind of joy or hysteria like we did last night... So much love for Pakistan? Or, so much hatred? Till the day we – India and Pakistan - got our respective Independence from the British rule, we were one big family – yes we were brothers and sisters of the same family. What happened to that, then? I simply cannot understand! W hen the summer PD programme of THE DAWN CLUB had begun in the second week of April, I had motivated all our little ones, young ones and some select Indian adults, who we...

T hough I haven’t watched any of the on-going World-Cup (cricket) matches, I have kept myself reasonably informed about them. Like, we have won two matches – one against South Africa and the other against Australia. I have, also, kept myself informed about one more victory – a special one, I suppose, for millions of sports lovers, including me. This victory belongs to our dynamic Captain, Virat Kohli. Now, look at this scene: Australian player Steve Smith, who had pleaded guilty for his ‘sin’ of ball tampering (in a test match against SA in March 2018), had already served his one-year ban from playing first-class cricket. Yes, he deserved that punishment; and, he, also, deserved our admiration for the courage he had displayed by owning up to his mistake. He was the Captain; and, though he was found not directly involved in this incident, Smith took it upon him and apologized to his country and the world.   He had publicly cried; and, I don’t think, they we...

F or once, last night, I was able to watch a match without getting all worked up, tensed. My knowledge about football is very shallow; it's mostly confined to semifinals and finals of FIFA World Cup spectacles. So, last night, I was not particularly rooting for either France or Croatia. Yes, somewhere inside me there was a soft spot for Croatia and I wanted them to win… But, it was just a match. Only one of the two teams could win… France did. And, I was happy for France, too. Sports and sportsmanship, the more I think about them, I realize, that  are two of the finest and most empowering words in human dictionary. What the sports field can teach us, nothing else in life can. I, myself, was a very shy and aloof boy while I was growing up. I don’t remember playing any outdoor or indoor games in my life. So, it took many, many years to comprehend what sports could do to one’s self-confidence and outlook towards life… I am lucky, and fee...

Pic.: Vinod Vazirani “It is your response to winning and losing that makes you a winner or a loser.” - Harry Sheehy C arolina Marin of Spain definitely played better than Sindhu, yesterday. So, she deserved the Gold. And, our Sindhu? I, too, watched the badminton (singles) Olympics finals, last evening (on my cell-phone), along with my wife. And, I did that like all my fellow-Indians and like all others who rooted for Sindhu. I wanted her to win… and, when she did win the first game, I felt immensely happy. But, then, I knew, somewhere along, that it would be Carolina… and not Sindhu. That’s sports. True sports. The winner takes it all… Well, this Post is not about winning and losing in Olympics. This is about that amazing quality called sportsmanship… which, our Sindhu, delightfully displayed after she lost that all-important contest, watched by millions of people, all over the world. It is that little gesture which Sindhu exhibited by goi...

Pic.: Chetna Shetty T oday is the twelfth-standard Accountancy (CBSE) Board-exam. An hour before the exam, the mother of one of my very committed and focused students called me up. “Sir, today is Varun’s* Accountancy exam,” she said with humility, “Please bless him.” It was very unusual, at least for me. I have been teaching for more than thirty-five years. I don’t remember many students – leave alone their parents – calling me up on the exam day to seek my blessings… I am not complaining. Just that it is not done by many… that’s all. “Oh yes ma’am, certainly, I will,” I said to the mother, enthusiastically, “Please give the phone to Varun.” When Varun came on line, I said, “Hi Varun, wish you all the best, beta .” “Thank-you very much sir,” Varun replied. “Varun beta , you have been one of my most committed and focused students,” I continued. “Remember, you have given your best; leave the rest to God… All will go well. God bless.” Well, will ...