The world’s future sporting heroes were issued a challenge last night: to win with character.
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge’s speech to mark the opening of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) was not the usual spiel about breaching personal barriers and setting records, but about striving for a more noble ideal. The former sailor said of the YOG in his speech: ‘You will learn the difference between winning and being a champion.
‘To win, you merely have to cross the finish line first.’
Dr Rogge could well have been describing the multiple Olympic medallists when he said: ‘To be a champion, you have to inspire admiration for your character, as well as for your physical talent.
‘You have to compete in the spirit of fair play, respecting your opponents and the rules, without doping or any other unfair advantage.
‘If you can reach that pinnacle, if you are ready to serve as role models for your generation, then you will all be champions irrespective of your rankings.’
-quoted from The Straits Times 15th August 2010
