At last Andy

Championship point.

Leading 40-15, with the fifth set standing at 5-2 and after almost five hours of play, this is Andy Murray's moment to eradicate the pain of his previous four Grand Slam defeats.

First serve. Fault.

He recomposes himself and prepares for his second serve. The crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium are restless and on the edge of their seats as he successfully serves to Novak Djokovic who succumbs to Andy Murray's resilience and hits a long forehand.

Out.

Andy Murray is the US Open champion.

In achieving his first Grand Slam victory it appears that Andy Murray has finally conquered his inner demon, the self-imposed doubting of his own abilities, which I suppose is not unexpected after reaching four Grand Slam finals and failing at the last hurdle of each. It is this yearning to follow in the footsteps of tennis' legends and in breaking the long barren era in British tennis since 1936, the last time a British player won a Men's singles Grand Slam, which was responsible for the demure and often sombre face that the press frequently captured of Andy Murray. In all fairness, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have hauled a staggering total of 33 Grand Slam triumphs between them in the past 10 years, and after cementing their positions as the 'big three' in this era it was always going to prove tough to challenge these players at the top of their game.

The turning point for Andy Murray arose in early July of this year when Roger Federer stole victory in Wimbledon from him taking the second, third and fourth sets after he performed an impressive first set display. Whilst widely renowned for his serious composure and for sheltering his emotions, it was during his heart melting speech after collecting his runner's up trophy where the public were given a sneak preview of his 'human' side. The tears streaming down his face were welcomed by spectators and tennis fans, like the heavy downpour of rain bringing closure to an endless drought. These tears were desperately sought after to prove to the world that Andy Murray is a British sportsman that the public can relate to, a tennis player whose losses we feel saddened by and whose victories we share in celebration.

It has been an incredible journey for the young Scotsman and after returning today to his home town of Dunblane where it all began, it appears fitting that he was given a hero's welcome. He's reserved his place in history amongst the tennis greats and as quoted by Alessandro Zanardi, Formula 1 driver-turned-Paracyclist:

"If you really enjoy what you do, the result is just the logical consequence."

It's likely we will be welcoming many more Grand Slam victories from Andy Murray for a while yet.

Paralympic Heroes - Inspiring a Generation

The Paralympic closing ceremony is fast approaching; with only two days of exhilarating and awe-inspiring sporting conquests remaining, we must say our goodbyes to an emphatic summer that will live long in our memories.

London 2012 has served as a well-informed advertisement for the world of disabled sports, a world that I feel a sense of ignorance for not having deeply explored until now. The Paralympic Games has raised the profile of not only disabled sports, but particularly the athletes that are partaking in these truly magnificent games. Whilst the likes of South Africa's sprint runner, Oscar Pistorius, Great Britain's swimmer-turned-cyclist, Sarah Storey, and wheelchair athlete, David Weir are Paralympic medal veterans, London 2012 has elevated the status of athletes such as Great Britain's Jonnie Peacock who triumphantly stormed to victory in the T44 100m sprint.

It is when watching these Paralympians that one can truly be inspired - inspired to seize every opportunity regardless of the nature of its delivery. Each competitor at the Paralympic games has their own unique story driving them to succeed, and each was faced with a very personal set of challenges that they were seeking to overcome. Consequently, this enables spectators to demonstrate a higher level of appreciation for the journeys that the athletes have set forth on. Many of the athletes encountered either physical or intellectual challenges from birth or an early age; others were met with the daunting prospect of entering this unfamiliar realm after illness or accidents thwarted the paths their lives were mapped out to take. Sport, fundamentally, remains the common denominator throughout each individual journey and proves itself to be the unspoken universal language of the world, allowing individuals from all cultures, backgrounds and abilities to represent themselves and their nations in striving to fulfil lifelong dreams and ambitions of success.

Aside from the medal achievements, world records and team victories, it is certain that children and adults alike will convert the admiration that they possess for our London 2012 heroes into motivation in seeking to partake in the wealth and breadth of sport on offer. We must take inspiration from these Paralympian superhumans, and use the Games as ignition to spark a new chapter in each of our lives.

Moral Codes and Misconduct

Yet again one of the England football squad’s most high-profile players has found himself being punished for improper conduct within the twitter-sphere. Last week Rio Ferdinand was fined by the Football Association over his choice of inappropriate language on the online social networking site, in a remark directed at fellow team-mate Ashley Cole. This is not the sort of publicity the football world should be renowned for; however, twitter is becoming an increasingly frequent venue for heated exchanges of opinion.

It’s been highlighted and widely acknowledged in the aftermath of the Olympics, that footballers should take note from the vast majority of athletes who conducted themselves with the professionalism that sportsmanship requires. Despite being the focus of worldwide attention, there has been widespread admiration and respect for the way in which the athletes behaved. With the exception of only a few, they assumed their role as ambassadors for their countries with great pride. They carried the weight of their respective nation’s dreams and expectations on their shoulders, and essentially presented themselves as advertisements of their country’s philosophies and principles. I believe, fundamentally, that it is this pride and honour to represent one’s nation that appears to get lost in translation in the football world. This privilege is often misconstrued as a right within football, highlighting the contrasting moral backdrop between the two sporting realms.  

Essentially, footballers are paid incomprehensible sums of money and more importantly they are unafraid to flaunt it. Thus, it is unsurprising that they appear to detach themselves from the reality lived in by their fans. London’s Olympians have exemplified an alternative, more favourable manner in which they carried themselves, as demonstrated by the humility with which they celebrated their medal triumphs. This is a distinct characteristic that football often lacks. Rewind to David Rudisha’s 800m world-record breaking victory or Usain Bolt’s triple gold medal achievement, there is an unexplainable aura that surrounds the Olympics.

This is not to detract from the actions of football’s most generous individuals, representing and providing generous donations to charities and worthy causes, yet it is the image that they portray which often receives the most public attention. It is for this reason that footballers should identify with the moral code followed by most athletes during the Olympics, if they desire to receive the good publicity and media focus that they may thoroughly deserve.

London's Legacy

This morning I had the pleasure of driving through Isleworth, where my eyes were met by the sight of a glittering golden Royal Mail postbox in honour of double track gold medallist Mo Farah. Nationwide recognition of an individual’s sporting success is an enviable feat, and to have this success etched in the memory of local residents can only be viewed as a positive reminder of the potential and talent that Great Britain possesses. 

The celebratory showpieces are a welcome sight at a time when the nation revels in a state of euphoria after the most successful medal haul Team GB has ever achieved, however, the underlying aim of legacy must not be forgotten. It is this question of legacy that I believe is key and which must be considered before labelling London 2012 as one of the greatest Olympic Games. It can certainly pride itself as a serious contender, but if the government fails to implement crucial aspects of its ‘Plans for the Legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games’ that it published in December 2010; it will have failed to adhere to its promises that contributed to London originally being awarded the privilege of hosting the Games. Fundamentally, the coalition government aims to ‘encourage the nation to become more physically active, use the Games to exploit economic growth, achieve participation from all groups in society and guarantee that the Olympic Park will not only be redeveloped after the Games but also ignite further regeneration across East London.’ 

It would be foolish to think that these plans will produce certain results after the Olympic Games; in fact it will require the government to maintain the ‘Plans for Legacy’ as a serious priority for the foreseeable future. The results are far from immediate and will require patience, participation and persistence by the Government and the population alike. 

For now, however, Great Britain can continue to rejoice in its Olympic medal success and live in the anticipation and excitement of our Paralympians striving to deliver the same! 

http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/201210_Legacy_Publication.pdf

Only One ‘Direction’?

An end to the RVP saga is on the horizon, and it seems as though the anticipation has worn thin and I have finally accepted that perhaps RVP’s departure would be the best way for Arsenal to progress.

The overwhelming sensation of déjà vu strikes, and yet another summer is swarmed by transfer talk surrounding an Arsenal captain. It was only a year ago that key playmaker Cesc Fabregas parted ways with the club and exchanged Emirates Stadium for the epic stage of Camp Nou. Who could have blamed him? As one of the club’s youngest captains Cesc had provided so much for Arsenal, dedicating the best part of his adult life to the North London club. At the peak of his football career, yet with only one Premier League and FA Cup trophy achieved with Arsenal, it’s understandable that the young Spaniard chose to return to his home town, Barcelona.  

It is this stark contrast that makes RVP’s inevitable departure all the more sour. Footballers are forthcoming in pledging allegiance to their club; kissing the badge of honour when the ball hits the back of the net, screaming out in gladiatorial celebration when victorious and in dedicating success to the fans. It is this allegiance that can be questioned when a club’s captain publicly unveils his lack of support for the ‘direction’ in which their club is heading. No one can doubt RVP’s commitment to Arsenal and that they will lose an incredible player when he leaves; he was the English Premier League’s top goal scorer in the 2011-2012 season with an impressive thirty goal haul. RVP’s departure, however, will undoubtedly question the loyalty he pledged to Arsenal and Arsene Wenger himself, a man to whom RVP is unarguably indebted after being offered an extended contract in 2009 despite suffering from lengthy periods of injury. It appears that the North London club are prepared for this summer’s most dramatic departure after signing the likes of Santi Cazorla, Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski. These signings are a direct response to the doubters of Arsene Wenger and RVP in particular, who may have to air an alternative reason to his fans as justification for leaving behind a club that surely pledged allegiance to him throughout his injury clad tenure at Arsenal.

To put into perspective the length of time that has surpassed since Arsenal won the Premier League in 2004; three Olympic Games have taken place, two World Cups and Chelsea have seen eight different managers. It’s fair to acknowledge the emptiness of the club’s trophy cabinet in recent years, and RVP’s exit is certainly a huge blow to the progress that was showcased by the players last season. This is, however, why we must say ‘good-bye’ to RVP and focus on the quality and passion within our squad at present. This move is crucial in order to commence the new season with the vigour and drive which was lacking at the beginning of last season, when Arsenal appeared unprepared for the certain departure of Cesc Fabregas. It appears that Arsene Wenger has taken note and Arsenal is cementing its status as a serious contender for the Premier League title this upcoming season.

Post Olympics – waving the flag for Britain

2012’s British legacy began with nationwide celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. If staging the Jubilee concert and Thames Pageant appeared a daunting task, try multiplying the security risk, number of tourists, television coverage and patriotic flag waving by a hundred and we are somewhere close to the gigantic scale of the London Olympics.

What struck me most about the London Olympics – aside from the fact that the heavens above glistened golden rays of sunshine and cast warmth upon us for the small two week window of the Games - was the fact that the British people finally became united in feeling a sense of pride and admiration for our nation. The Olympics was a step towards accomplishing something that governments of yesteryear have been aiming towards, eradicating the notion that only the privileged can afford to become Olympians. Contrast the equestrian events with the track events where Britain has now showcased incredible talent, and reminisce in the victory of our very own legend Mo Farah.

Furthermore, people within the UK from a broad spectrum of ethnic backgrounds and from all classes of society became united in the support of our nation’s sports men and women and willed them to succeed. The London Games can pride itself in the knowledge that unlike Olympic Games of the past, locals and tourists alike cheered on teams and individuals from all corners of the globe in seeking to drive them to their best.

What became apparent was that unlike Central America where the US flag is hoisted and proudly displayed on most houses and where school children sing the national anthem on important occasions; in the UK we tend to be more reserved and timid in our displays of patriotism... until now. Flags were flying off the shelves in sports stores up and down the country, and soon became the newest ‘must-have’ fashion accessory. The London Games has ignited something into British culture that has been striving to be showcased for a long time. It is now more than ever cool to be British.