The Tokyo Olympic Games are well underway and athletes from across the world are competing against each other for the ultimate sporting glory.
As the first week is nearing closure, Japan, USA, China and ROC are the top 4 countries on the leader board, and already there have been some breathtaking performances and a couple of them have caught my attention. One by a 13 year old Japanese school girl and the other by a 41 year old Iranian male nurse.
Momiji Nishiya
13 years and 300 days old, Momiji Nishiya won the gold in the Women’s Street Skateboarding competition which was being held for the first time as an Olympic event. Nishiya became one of the youngest gold medal winners in the history of Olympic Games. She was just behind Marjorie Gestring of the US, who won a gold in Diving at the 1936 Berlin Games all of 13 years and 268 days and holds the record of the youngest sportsperson to have won gold at the Olympics.
We need to start early
I wonder what was I doing at the age of 13 and what do most children do at this age. Go to school, study a bit, play some games and lead a carefree life. Winning a gold medal at the Olympics is well beyond the normal and therefore Momiji Nishiya’s achievement is no mean feat. It is well beyond the ordinary. Our children need to start early if we have to produce champions more often than not, is the lesson leant from Nishiya’s success.
Javad Foroughi
At 41 years, Javad Foroughi became Iran’s oldest Olympic winner, when he won Gold in the 10 m air pistol shooting competition. He also set a new Olympic record of 244.8 points. It was a terrific performance from Javad, a hospital Nurse serving in the Covid-19 wards.
We need to keep persevering
Javad, got infected twice with Covid 19, while serving in the hospital and missed his training, but still he persevered and in spite of all the hiccups he eventually managed to win the gold. Years of Perseverance is undoubtedly another lesson learnt. We need to persevere with our dreams and never let go of them.
This is the tale of the two golds. However the Olympics will always leave you with new tales and stories to ponder and as I complete my blog Abdullah Al-Rashidi from Kuwait has won a bronze medal in the Skeet Shooting event at the age of 57.
Someone rightly said “Age is just a number“.