Healthy competition is one of the key aspects of sport, putting against each other singles or teams to determine who the better is at the given game.
But of course sport is not only about winning and losing, but it’s about a number of other thing, among which passion, determination, drive, honesty and respect.
The Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov, renown as a kind and nice person, showed a massive amount of respect for his opponent, when facing Kyle Edmund in the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International in January 2018.
The two players were 4-4 in the third set of a balanced match that saw the Bulgarian, defending champion in the competition, win the first set 6-3, while Edmund managed to scratch a victory in the tie break of the second one.
While playing a tight point, suddenly, the British player fell down to the ground, supposedly for an ankle injury, with his face twisted in pain.
The reaction from Dimitrov, at the time n° 3 in the ATP men’s world rankings, was impressively urgent and caring: he ran towards the net, jumping over it to reach the other side of the field and provide immediate aid to his injured opponent, assisting him to stand up and walk to his sit.
Edmund was then able to finish the match, which was then won by his opponent (who went on to the semifinals in a losing effort against then-winner Nick Kyrgios) with the score of 6-4 in the last set.
Dimitrov, who was struggling with form issues, went on to obtain an important victory, but the greatest achievement he got from this match, was to show great sportsmanship and respect.
“At the end of the day, health above all” he commented when interviewed in the end.
#SportValues #GetVal #Honesty #Respect #Health #Care #Solidarity