This week four national records were broken, one in athletics and three in weightlifting. The feats are very positive news for Nepali sports as it indicates that some our athletes are performing to their abilities. As sports fans that is all we ask for from our national sportsmen.It is wrong to judge athletes simply on whether they win medals. Certainly, the odds are stacked against them with the poor facilities and abysmal administration they have to work with in Nepal. That does not however mean that we should give them a free pass either. It is more than appropriate for us to expect athletes to put up a formidable showing in their respective sports.
When an athlete participates in an international sporting event and posts a time that is over 20% slower than their national best or gets knocked out in the first round of a tournament without throwing a single punch - they deserve to be criticized. But when a sportsman goes down swinging or breaks a personal best time, even if they finish in last place, then we should all be proud of their performance.
