One for all and all for one

OVER the last week, I was reading the newspaper from the back. You know, where the sports pages are.

There I found the stories of athletes battling for medals more engaging and inspiring than those of our politicians slugging it out for votes.

Coincidentally, Gold Coast 2018, which is the XXI Commonwealth Games, started just two days before the April 6 announcement of the dissolution of our Parliament.

That long-awaited news signalled the “let the (political) games begin” moment for Malaysians and it overshadowed everything else.

Shortly after, the announcement of a Wednesday polling day sent us into another frenzy.

Social media went into overdrive with people organising carpools and support groups to help fellow citizens come home to vote.

Several companies and airlines announced plans to do their patriotic bit, too.

So, even when our athletes made sporting history Down Under, while duly reported, little of it got the big front-page treatment and social media attention it would have had if not for the obsession with GE14.

Frankly, I wasn’t that interested in Gold Coast 2018 because the suspense over the general election had already been building up and even our Youth and Sports Ministry was quite reticent about its medal expectations.

But when I found myself overwhelmed by the onslaught of stories about parties fighting each other over seat allocations and politicians’ name-calling tactics, I began looking at the sports pages more.

There was so much better news there about how my country was doing. At first, my interest was only mildly piqued by the gold achievement of weightlifter Azroy Hazal Wafie Izhar Ahmad because I am not into that sport.

But as more and more of our athletes got into action, in sports I was more familiar with, I got caught up with the excitement that was taking place in Queensland.

Still, it wasn’t till I watched their performances on YouTube that I realised what an amazing job our athletes were doing to make their nation proud; much better than, say, many of our so-called leaders.

Even though there have been criticisms that the Commonwealth Games is irrelevant as a relic of the long-gone British empire, and it may not be as prestigious as the Olympics, over 6,600 athletes and officials from 71 nations took part in 275 events in 18 sports and the competition was fierce.

By winning seven gold, five silver and 12 bronze, Malaysia was ranked 12th on the medal table. We missed being in the top 10 but we exceeded the six-gold target.

Sure, there were disappointments when some athletes whom we had high expectations of, failed to deliver the medals.

But those who did deliver, did so in truly magnificent style.

There were lawn bowlers Siti Zalina Ahmad and Emma Firyana Saroji unexpectedly beating South Africa to the gold.

There was the near-perfect symmetry of divers Pandelela Rinong and Cheong Jun Hoong as they took the gold in the women’s 10m platform synchro event.

There was Amy Kwan Dict Weng’s mesmerising gold-worthy ribbon routine; as well as her teammates Koe Sie Yan and Izzah Amzan’s excellent performances that I watched and rewatched.

Finally, on the last day of the Games, there was Datuk Lee Chong Wei pulling off a stunning victory over just crowned world number one, Indian shuttler Srikanth Kidambi.

The Malaysian fans in the stadium were so enthusiastic in their support for Chong Wei that the amused TV sports narrators commented on it.

Indeed, some of the feel-good factor came from catching glimpses of the fans’ wonderful support.

That reaffirmed how sports is truly a powerful unifying force. Malaysians of all races and creeds cheered with full gusto and pride for their sporting heroes and heroines who were up against some of the world’s finest athletes.

Still, for me, even that couldn’t beat the emotional heft of the medal ceremony for the Malaysian gold medallists.

It was touching to see Chong Wei hold a salute throughout the national anthem but my favourite moment was when Amy took centrestage on the podium with Sie Yan to receive their bronze for the ribbon routine.

While Sie Yan was more composed, Amy’s sheer delight, evident from her smiling face and deep breaths, was obvious to all.

I was smiling, too, as I shared her joy and then I got teary-eyed when the Negaraku was played.

Amy placed her right hand over her heart and sang along. The sight of two Jalur Gemilang going up made me feel so, so proud.

If I felt so watching the scene on my computer, I can imagine how emotional Malaysians in the stadium must have been watching our national flag being raised to the tune of our national anthem.

And that’s the thing. We can put aside our racial and religious differences and unite as one when there is a clear meaningful goal ahead and we will support whoever with the talent, skills, training, passion and commitment is tasked with achieving that goal.

We can do it in sports and it’s a crying shame we can’t do it in our political arena. Why does it have to be so divisive and toxic?

Sadly, the Commonwealth Games ended on Sunday, so my feel-good source has dried up.

But I refuse to get all riled up and depressed by the mean and brutal punches being thrown by our pugilistic politicians. This is one ringside seat I will avoid. I will instead spend more time at the cinema.

Aunty watched Dukun, which served to remind her how a politician got himself killed and dismembered in his foolish desire to gain more political power through the dark arts. Ho-hum. That done, she will now check out Golden Screen Cinema’s French Film Festival which ends on May 20.