Undying spirit of sportsmanship
IN the 1970s, the 7.5-km race for seniors was a major attraction at Bishop Cotton School (BCS), Shimla. There was a fierce rivalry between VK Roach (captain of Curzon House) and S Chauhan (captain of Lefroy House) in 1975. On D-Day, Chauhan surged ahead and maintained his lead. He was running with all his might and energy. However, his strides became erratic as exhaustion took over. Though he reached the finish line with his hand outstretched, he lacked the strength to raise it and bring down the ribbon that was hanging between two poles. Ultimately, he collapsed from sheer fatigue.
Roach followed him into the last stretch, about half a minute later. Boys had lined up beside the finish line, eagerly awaiting the winner. As Roach sprinted forward, everyone expected him to break through the ribbon. But to everyone’s astonishment, he ducked under it. Roach saw Chauhan lying on the ground, his hand just past the finish line. A deep silence swept over the boys as they witnessed this act of true sportsmanship. As juniors, we were all profoundly moved by this gesture.
It was a powerful lesson in determination, grit and the will to fight to the finish. Chauhan was declared the winner, but Roach’s selfless act will forever remain etched in our minds.
In 2008, when I was serving as Joint Commissioner in the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, an athletics event for the staffers and officers was organised. I entered the 800-metre race, knowing that young peons from Punjab and Haryana (and also from Nepal) were also competing. I had little chance of winning, but to everyone’s surprise, I managed to clinch the first place, overtaking the others in the final 10 metres. It was unexpected for everyone to see an officer winning the race.
As the Deputy Commissioner of Barnala in 2019, I participated in a race to promote fitness in the district. The event included a 10-km run for those under 40 and a 5-km run for participants over 40. Since I was over 50, I entered the fray in the 5-km race. With only 15 days to go, I went to the gym regularly to prepare myself. On the day of the race, I saw my security officer panting and struggling to keep up. I told him to take rest and not worry about my security. Much to everyone’s surprise, I managed to finish second.
The spirit of sportsmanship and perseverance that we learned in school has stayed with me all these years. Long live that spirit!
