Sporting Life
From jiu-jitsu fighter Noah Lim a lovely lesson: Grace after grit
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Singaporean jiu-jitsu fighter Noah Lim (right) sitting down and putting a consoling arm around his defeated and emotional rival Elyas Zwawi Y Banjar of Saudi Arabia at the Asian Games.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
After the sweat of effort often comes the drip of respect. The handshake. The jersey swop. The muttered congratulations. This is sport with a hard, rough shine. Grace after grit.
Grace is often connected to defeat, in the fallen athlete’s ability to summon dignity when his dreams have been fractured and his self-esteem left crumpled. And yet grace is also found in victory, in how you win and what you say and how you behave after the yell of triumph and the clenched fist of glory.