How fast time flies!! With the almighty's grace we have now reach mid way point of the season. Somehow we have manage to carry on (bar one weekend) despite the rain. Let's hope for the same for the remaining of the season .

First and foremost kudos to all division heads and the technical team members for a sterling job so far. Team managers and coaches as well as all volunteers who had and will continue to uphold our core values I salute you!!

The competition in quite intense judging by the vociferous screaming and shouting I hear echoing all round the field. Positive and encouraging chants and support is always welcome in fact louder the better. However unfortunately at the heat of competition and the desire to just win sometimes descends like a dark mist clouding the actual reason we all are here week in week out. We forget winning is just the bonus while being with the team, building up spirit of participation and giving your best is grossly overlooked at times. There are grumblings about so called "star player" absent/missing, team is weak and demoralised etc... I wonder who is demoralised here!!! The boys play as hard, keep running and giving their all, some parents even concede defeat even before a ball is kicked!! But in the end we all can learn from the boys about determination and courage and bout not giving up.

I am reminded about a story which had inspired me and touched my soul so much. This took place after the closing ceremony of the Mexico City Olympic games in 1968. This is about John Stephen Akhwari a Tanzanian marathon runner who took part in the marathon event prior to the closing ceremony. It was very late in the evening, the last runner came in hours ago, closing ceremony also long done, few remained to see the last chapter of the Olympics take place. John Stephen Akhwari covered with blood, hobbled into the light. He had taken a horrible fall early in the race, whacked his head,damaged his knee, and endured a trampling before he could get back on his feet. And there he was over 40km later, stumbling his way to the finish line.

The response from the little who remained was so overwhelming it was almost frightening. They encouraged him through the last few meters with thundering ovation that far exceeded the one given to the man who came in first (by the way no one remembers). He collapsed into the arms of medical personnel who immediately whisked him off to the hospital.

Akhwari was then asked about his extraordinary feat. The first question was the one we would also asked. "Why after all that injuries would you ever get up and continue with absolutely no chance of even smelling a medal.?" John Stephen Akwari said this "My country did not send me here over 11000km to start a race. They send me over 11000km to finish one!"I remember watching this amazing display of courage and I have shared what John Stephen Akhwari said to remind you that it is not enough to know where finish line is, you have to be prepared to crash through the quitting points you encounter. I encourage us all to always keep hope alive and the satisfaction on knowing that you have given the best is far more rewarding that the medal given out.

The triumph of the human spirit is priceless, keep hope up dear friends.
YNWA

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