Christlikeness in sport

Played football on Sunday evening. Upon reaching the field, most of the team players have started their warming up. There is a group of Malay boys who requested to play a friendly match with us.

This is the team that played with us earlier last this month. We lost to them by 3-6 at that time. This time we played a better game and the score was 1-1 during first half. In the second half, we scored another goal. Because of that the other team began to play unsportingly. One of the opponent’s players made a remark to Sam, one of our players. Sam replied in the same tone and the atmosphere began to become tense. When the whistle blows signaling the end of the match, the other player began to scold and wanting to start a fight with Sam. We quickly went in to cool down the two players. Things started to settle down but the remarks keep on coming out from the opponent’s player. I had to grab Sam and dragged him away from the opponent’s team. It got worse when about 3 outsiders came to Sam and wanting to pick a fight. Scolded them and asked them to go away. Thank God that no fight occurs.

When the opponent team went back, I gave a short briefing to the team, reprimanding such kind of behaviour in the field. It does not look good for us, a Christian team representing the church to have acted in that way. Though the opponent team player started it first, Sam should have more self-control and not be led to such unsporting behaviour. Asked Sam to apologize to our team members and also to the opponent’s team coach. Then we all went back home.