Fr. Bel San Luis January 29 Manila Bulletin column: Australian Open: Talent and diligence by Fr. Bel R. San Luis, SVD January 28, 2014 Another successful Australian Open tennis grand slam culminated last Sunday. A dark-horse champion, Stanislas Wawrinka, emerged when he beat world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. In the women’s singles, after failing twice to win the finals in past Australian Opens, the persevering Li Na outclassed Dominika Cibulkova to finally become the champion. * * * Since lawn tennis is my favorite, I followed the games when I had spare time. I play tennis but, as we senior chums would joke, we belong to the SWAT team — Samahang Walang Asenso sa Tennis. * * * This brings me to the subject on sports talent. How come there are those who are highly gifted while others who try so hard to play a sport make little or no progress? I recall a friend who kept trying regularly and assiduously to play tennis but made so little progress. After some years, he hang his racquet and switched to photography. He loved tennis but tennis didn’t love him. * * * Clearly, there’s an unequal distribution of talents. Some who are born with the raw material or talent receive this special gift (grace) from God. When Maria Sharapova won the US Open in 2006, I recall some of her inspiring thoughts worth quoting. “What tennis has brought me has been incredible,” Sharapova said. “God gave me a talent, but it was up to me to play my part in it. * * * “I don’t believe in just God-given talent, you have to work for everything you earn and I think the combination has helped me.” Sharapova’s religious principle is worth applying, not only in sports but in all human endeavors — academics, business, career, positions of leadership. * * * HEIGHT ADVANTAGE? While some Asians from China, Japan, Thailand, India competed in the Australian Open, there was a lone Filipino, Treat Huey, seeded #12, who teamed up with Dominic Inglot, a British. The tandem fairly did well, reaching the quarterfinals. Let’s have more enterprising Filipinos in international tennis tournaments. * * * Some probably think it is not worth joining since Western players have the height advantage. But height is not a drawback. Dominika Cibulkova, 5-foot-3 and seeded #20, surprised everybody when she barged into the finals at the recent Aussie Open. * * * “It’s not about how tall you are,” she told reporters. “You have to really want something and just believe in it.” Other successful players not blessed with the height advantage are: Ai Sugiyama of Japan, ranked #31; 16-year-old rising Portuguese star Michel Larcher de Brito, 5-foot-5, and Justine Henin, who at 5-foot-5, was a long-time world No. 1. * * * ST. JUDE NOVENA. Tomorrow is Thursday. Join our novena to St. Jude, Saint of the Impossible, at the Divine Word Shrine, Christ the King Seminary Compound, on E. Rodriguez Boulevard, Quezon City at 6:30 p.m. A healing session follows.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 21:12:26 +0000
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