Izaac Quek and Koen Pang remind us of a simple truth: Fair play is a beautiful thing

The act of sportsmanship is a thing of surprising beauty for its arrival is rarely signalled. An athlete abruptly lifts up a fallen rival. A competitor helps repair another nation’s bobsleigh. A sailor interrupts his race to attempt a rescue. For a brief moment, conflict is embroidered with respect.

These acts seem bewildering because sport can be a narrow place. The only prayer offered these days is for winning. In this over-competitive century with its $4 million victory cheques, ruthlessness is revered. In 2024, a headline in the Washington Post echoed the tale of the times: “As Paralympics get bigger, some athletes say cheating is more prevalent.”