[nidokidos] THE MEDIA RESPONDS AS SRI LANKANS DISPLAY TRUE SPORTSMANSHIP

 

Click here to get beautiful emails Click here to join forum

---

THE MEDIA RESPONDS AS SRI LANKANS DISPLAY TRUE SPORTSMANSHIP THE MEDIA RESPONDS AS SRI LANKANS DISPLAY TRUE SPORTSMANSHIP IN THE AFTERMATH OF WORLD CUP FINAL DEFEAT (Mumbai-April 2nd 2011) BBC - Just seconds after India won the world cup final, Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara watches the Indian batsmen Singh and Dhoni celebrate their victory. Notice Sangakkara is smiling even in defeat. A great example of good sportsmanship. Gracious in defeat: Yuvraj Singh and M.S.Dhoni celebrate watched by Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka after Dhonihit the winning runs for India to defeat Sri Lanka. Source: Getty Images World-renown Sports Writer Kamran Abbasi states "Commiserations to Sri Lanka fans. You have the most humble and most gracious team in world cricket. You should be proud of their achievement." "Lankan people displayed grace and warmth in the face of a defeat. With amazing grace, unseen elsewhere in the sub-continent following a defeat, the crowd cheered its cricketers. No apology was expected of Sri Lankan captain in a country that treats its cricketers with dignity" - The Hindu Indians respond to Sri Lankan Team's attitude in defeat Rahul Advani says - "Well done Sangakara. Despite began an Indian supporter I admire your dignity. You were very gracious in defeat. Sad to see the end of Murali's career but I'm glad that our cricketing legend has achieved everything." Ashok Kohli says - "Kumar is a real class act. Sri Lanka definitely contributed to a great game. We all are sad to see Murali's last game. He's true legend. But what a team spirit Sangakkara has! I really admire Sangakkara. You are the one of them who never give up. I remember your words in the 2007 Final against Australia and you proved it. You have an amazing temperament. Go Sanga go Much respect to you and your team. Cheers! Sanjeev Banik says - "Now that's what a great captain sounds like. I am Indian, proud to be a witness of a winning World Cup side but hats off to Sri Lanka, they played with pride, integrity and belief. Never mind the result, well done to both the teams who deserved to win the medals either way. Good luck to both teams and all the cricketing nations around the world for the future." Ranjit Sidhu says - "I'm Indian but I admire Sangakkara. The man was very well spoken and extremely humble. Sri lanka can be very proud of their performance, and I hope we have another great battle in the 2015 world cup in Australia! Pure class from a great player. Few sportsman make a congratulatory speech such as Kumar" Sri Lankans around the world respond to their team's defeat "Superb speech by Sanga. This shows his great leadership, humility and appreciation of others in such moments. Great Sanga. He showed the quality of Sri Lankans. Proud of you. Proud to be Sri Lankan" “They are our heroes. They played superbly for most part. They did not let us down. We're proud of them all. What a classy response by a true gentleman. Sangakkara did us all proud when he spoke the way he did" "What a difference in Sangakkara's speech! What great humility and gentlemanliness. This how a speech should be. I'm proud to be Sri Lankan!" COLOMBO, April 3, 2011 A warm welcome for Sri Lankan players by AFP Correspondent R. K. Radhakrishnan Lankan people displaying grace and warmth in the face of a defeat, accorded a warm reception for the Sri Lankan team. Smiling faces, hordes of cheering fans and representatives form the Sri Lankan government welcomed its cricketers warmly, as they arrived here on Sunday morning at the Bandaranaike international airport in Colombo. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa set the tone for the celebrations, congratulating his team on its performance as the nation shrugged off the defeat to a better team the night before in Mumbai. “Sri Lanka can be proud of its cricketers led by its captain Kumar Sangakkara. The whole of Sri Lanka was with the team. The performance of the team augurs well for the future,� the President told the team. On his part, Sangakkara, who was selected captain of the ICC world team following the World Cup, mentioned that he and his team were grateful to the President for all the support, encouragement and guidance that he had given the team. The fireworks remained in their wrappers in all of Sri Lanka after the country's defeat in the ICC world cup cricket final but the rest of the planned celebrations went on. There was an elaborate ceremony at the VIP lounge at the airport where religious leaders blessed the team after which the team interacted with officials and others. The cricketers looked tired but were smiling and willing to oblige autograph and interview seekers from the media. The team then left to the major celebrations venue, the Independence Square in the city, where hundreds of people had gathered to watch the match on big screen on a hot Sunday. Amazing grace With amazing grace, unseen elsewhere in the sub-continent following a defeat, the crowd cheered its cricketers. “They are our heros. They played superbly for most part,� said a middle-aged man in the crowd, when asked if he did not feel that the team had let him down in the finals. Sangakkara addressed them in Sinhala and said that it was good to make it to the finals in 2007 (world cup), in 2009 (T-20 world cup) and in 2011 (world cup). But it was disappointing that none of this could be converted into a victory befitting a champion side. No apology was expected of him in a country that treats its cricketers with dignity minus the intrusive curiosity; and he offered them none. Sangakkara talked about the World Cup journey, thanked the support of the fans and said that only very good teams made it to the finals so many times. So there was nothing wrong about the way they were playing the game; and it meant that the future of cricket in the country was bright. The team witnessed traditional dance performances, posed for pictures and signed autographs and Sangakkara addressed a media conference ahead of warm good-byes. Sri Lanka's cricketers had lost the final game sometime past 11 p.m. on Saturday. In under 12 hours, as a hot Sunday sun blazed in all its glory, Sri Lankan people, by the grace and warmth they displayed in the face of a defeat, unlike all over the sub-continent, proved that they can rise above: cricket, after all is a game. All that matters is that the game is played well and in its true spirit. In doing so, the people have set an example to the rest of south Asia. SRI LANKA captain Kumar Sangakkara said his team were disappointed but proud to go down to a team that deserved the World Cup victory more. "I am very proud of everyone in the team, especially Mahela (Jayawardene) who rose up to the occasion and put up a great hundred," he said, after India defeated his side by six wickets in the final at the Wankhede stadium. Jayawardene scored an unbeaten 103 off just 88 balls to take Sri Lanka to 274-6 in the day-night clash watched by a capacity 30,000 crowd and millions more on television. "When you look at this Indian team anything less than 350 is not enough. It has been a great tournament for us. The way India played they deserved the tag of favourites. "Both Sri Lanka and India will be proud with the way they have played." Sangakkara, who made 48, said the only way his team could have stopped India from winning the crown was to take quick wickets but that did not happen. "India were the better side. They were fantastic tonight. The only way for us to stop India was to get at least seven wickets. Gautam (Gambhir) was outstanding and (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni stepped up and performed."We are disappointed but the better side won." he said, in one of the most gracious and well-spoken defeat speeches witnessed by a sporting public. -- 67 Keep Smiling PANKAJ SHARMA

Kumar Sangakarra resigns as captain of the 1 day Sri Lanka side

Kumar Sangakkara has quit as captain of Sri Lanka's one-day and Twenty20 sides

Know more of it

http://www.nidokidos.org/threads/49499-Kumar-Sangakarra-resigns-as-captain-of-the-1-day-Sri-Lanka-side

Stop emails | Join Us by Email | Join from Web | Visit Yahoo! Group | Join Nidokidos Forum

---

__._,_.___

Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic

Messages in this topic (1)

Recent Activity:

• New Members 860

Visit Your Group

===================================================

Join nidokidos Group for best of forwarded mails
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nidokidos
nidokidos-subscribe@yahoogroups.com



Be the part of Nidokidos , Join our Forum
http://www.nidokidos.org

===================================================

MARKETPLACE

Find useful articles and helpful tips on living with Fibromyalgia. Visit the Fibromyalgia Zone today!

---

Stay on top of your group activity without leaving the page you're on - Get the Yahoo! Toolbar now.

Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use

.

__,_._,___