Editorial
Bolt epitomises the best in the Olympics
How far behind are we?
With his historic win in the 200-metre final on Thursday night, Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, carved his name in history by becoming the first sprinter to defend both the 100 and 200 metre double. It was as much a demonstration of his unparalleled skills as his determination to push new boundaries. Little wonder that the whole stadium rose to its feet, applauding wildly when he crossed the finishing line. Bolt symbolises the true sporting spirit of striving for excellence and then making it happen.
The Olympic Games is the ultimate word in the sporting universe, which captivates public imagination the world over and rightly so. It not only showcases the fascinating sporting skills of the world's best achievers but also stands for the human drive to continually improve performance and thereby reach the apotheosis of perfection.
When we watch the world's best sportspersons perform in the Olympics what also attracts our attention in addition to their excellent individual performances is their national identity and the competition between the countries to upstage each other in the medals tally. The Olympics is the ultimate test for each sporting country to make its mark at the highest international level. Participants such as Bolt and Tiki Gelana have upheld the images of Jamaica and Ethiopia as the best ambassadors of their countries.
It is really shocking for us to see that Bangladesh has yet to produce a world-class sportsperson even after forty years of independence. In the realm of sports, every country has its own area of excellence. Has Bangladesh literally taken the Olympic precept of participation only and even dropping off at the heat stages? It's high time the govt. and the private sector hammer out an action plan to groom up sportsmen and women beyond regional standards and reach out to the Olympic level in events they have a flair for.
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