Fr Justine Kaipranpadan

The mighty champions Germany has come to grief at the World Cup inspite of qualifying for Russia with a perfect record of 10 wins. Nigeria, Senegal, Peru, Iceland… the less looked upon nations to compete for the World Cup in Russia with their heads held high. Let teamwork win!

The term ‘sport’ stems from the old French expression desporter or se desporter, which is a derivate of the Latin word de(s) portare – and means to amuse oneself. Eventually, the abbreviation ‘sport’ was coined, and from that time on, the term was used to describe the variety of activities that fascinate so many people. Football is a vehicle of education for the values of honesty, solidarity and brotherhood, especially for the younger generation and an instrument for the lessons of life’s ethical and spiritual values. With the football fever catching up, the beautiful moments, where teamwork helps in overcoming selfishness must be much regarded.

Pope Francis, when speaking to young people at the 70th anniversary of the Italian Sports Centre, said “I also hope you can taste the beauty of teamwork, which is so important in life. No individualism! No to playing for yourselves. Don’t devour the ball, be team players. To belong to a sports club means to reject every form of selfishness and isolation, it is an opportunity to encounter and be with others, to help one another, to compete in mutual esteem and to grow in brotherhood.”

Individual players like Lionel Messi, Neymer Jr, Cristiano Ronaldo are not lost in the whole but valued in their particularity. They all have a unique technique that makes the team stronger altogether. A great team is always made up of great individuals who do not play alone but together. It becomes a great team with the service of good goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and even with good coaches, trainers, physical therapist, etc. In every sport, the techniques and talents of each individual are placed at the service of the entire team.

We come together in a Christian community not only to worship God through liturgical activities, but also through building a community of friendship. The Church is defined as people of God. while participating in sports, people taste the beauty of teamwork, which is essential in Christian life. To belong to a parish, like in sports, is to reject every form of individualism, selfishness and isolation and to give an opportunity to be selfless in helping one another, to compete in mutual esteem and to grow in brotherhood. The sporting experience in the circumstances of a parish naturally fosters the dynamics of friendship and cohabitation, which when cultivated and valued can go beyond the boundaries of these sports arenas and become an opportunity for meaningful and lasting relationships even with other religious people. A sport brings together people from all walks of life. In a parish everyone gets to play, the best with their advantages and the rest with limitations together as a team. More than in any other platforms, sports brings together the oppressed, the marginalized, the refugee, the local, the rich, the dominant and the poor around a playground. Pope Francis suggests a sports club in every parish. It will provide an opportunity for the youth to meet one another through friendly competitions. In spite of this World Cup which is the most prestigious football tournament in the world, as well as the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Olympic Games, let all the celebration surface keeping in mind the message Pope Francis shared with the youth at World Youth Day in Brazil “Jesus offers us something bigger than the World Cup.”