I’M never sure what the correct protocol is when an elite athlete or team is heading into a major tournament. The problem is I don’t know whether to wish them good luck or not. There is a school of thought which believes that luck doesn’t come into it and that some athletes feel insulted by this remark. For them, training, knowledge and skill are the overarching factors required to win and there should be no relying on luck.
However even the most strong-willed person must agree that the Scottish women’s team deserved a bit of luck at the World Cup recently. Some dreadful referring decisions in all three of their games robbed them of a place in the final 16. A slight rub of the green might just have made that little bit of a difference. So with that said, I am going to continue to send messages of good luck and hope that no-one is offended.
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Our footballing heroes and coach Shelley Kerr should realise that they come home to a nation that is proud of them. Proud of their achievements and the way that they have carried themselves with dignity and grace throughout this exciting time. Let’s be clear here, scoring five goals in their debut on the World stage is an amazing feat and we must not overlook that fact.
It was a different story in Paisley last weekend when boxer Hannah Rankin was crowned world champion after a unanimous decision, with the judges scoring the 10-round fight 96-94 in her favour. Hannah did so in front of a noisy home crowd at Paisley Lagoon who were cheering her on, as well as the army of armchair fans who tuned in to watch the fight live. This success will hopefully spur her on to bring other fights to Scotland and, like with the women’s national team, will break down barriers and encourage many young women and girls into sport.
We should be proud of all our sportswomen, many of whom have been carrying the flag for women in sport for years without any recognition. And all sporting organisation in Scotland, no matter their status, should celebrate these wins and use this success to spearhead their own campaigns. There is no room for bad losers here.
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