We do not consider sport a serious career choice, a serious aspiration, yet sport is important to us.
For years governments of entire nations have invested in schools that provide academic education. Institutions that are designed to manufacture mundane stereotypes — bricks in a wall. We do not dare to differ.
I do not intend to underestimate the importance of an academic education; however I certainly do intend to stress the importance of a non-academic one.
We love to watch a game. Celebrate a win like it was our own, cringe and crib about losing a single match. Being a spectator is what we are phenomenal at. We talk and talk about yesterday’s match, tomorrow’s game and last year’s tournament. It is who we are — passionate, emotional spectators. The time has come to cross the fence.
We are products of conditioning and imposed thought control. Let us take a moment to think about what we want to be, where we want to go and how we’re going to get there.
Let us try and make an effort. Let us live a little. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing.” The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.
Let us be the change we want to see. Let us get the education we always wanted. Let us consider sport a serious aspiration.
— The reader is an instrumentation engineer based in Dubai.
