Olympic Dream

Dr. Thamsing Lamkang *

India's First Football Captain :: Dr. Talimeren Ao

In the world of sports and competitions, it's the dream of every competitor to compete and make a history during the Olympic Games which is held every four years. This is the biggest sports event in the whole world. The last Olympic Games took place in Beijing China 2008, and this year 2012, England will be hosting the Olympic Games in London.

We the Nagas have something to say about the Olympic Games history, through Mr. T. Ao, who leaded (Captain) the Indian National football team to the Olympic Games long time ago. And today, after long gap we have another Naga Olympian Ms. C. Swuro, who qualified the 2012 London Olympic Games. May the Almighty God allow Swuro to endeavor her Olympic dream!

In the early 19th Century young man GEORGE EYSER once dreamed of participating in the Olympic Games. In St. Louis in the year 1904 that dream became a reality. George not only participated but he won a Gold Medal in Gymnastics, as well as two silvers and a bronze. He had always dreamed of being an Olympian and winning a medal.

He had a dream of reaching the unreachable; a glory to him was worth more than a power or money. Do you know why? His left leg was wooden, as his real leg had been amputated by accident. Almost everyone thought his case was impossible but for him, it was a dream that had to be fulfilled.

We have seen many dreams fulfilled during the last Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. But all the dreamers cannot fulfill their dreams because someone worked harder to achieve the dream of becoming the Olympic Champion. Every nation, every individual had a dream of winning a medal to be on top of the chart for their own glory.

One fact of Beijing OG is that, no World Record or the Olympic Record was broken like the Beijing Games; 35 World Records and more than 80 Olympic Records had been broken by all the dreamers. Many long records too are broken. But all such records may not last long, because every athlete will have a dream of breaking those records. There will be a new champion every four (4) years and their names in the record book will be replaced. The name of those champions will be forgotten.

Let me tell you another inspiring and most unique story of the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico, his name is John Akhawari of Tanzania, who competed in the 'Marathon Race' and came last in the race. He arrived almost two (2) hours late after the winner, with a knee injury and in much pain. Only one reporter stayed behind to immortalize the moment of John Akhawari. The journalist asked John why he had not abandoned the race, since there was no-one left in the stadium to see whether he finishes or not. John looked at him through tired eyes and almost without strength to speak; he whispered "my country didn't send me 12000 km to start the race but to finish the race".

The concept of John's story is same to our human life that God didn't make us to easily give-up the rough and tough race of our life but to fight well and finished till the end. Dreams do not belong only to the winners, but to all those who dreamed! What about you, do you have one?

Have you ever thought if I could, I would do this or that? If you have let me ask you something else, why did you stop believing in yourself? If we think that a problem is impossible, we are the problem. 'The majority of people die before they die'. They die little by little over their life time, losing their hope, joy and the beauty of the simple things. The majority of people die when their dreams die. Although living, they die when they become more and more critical, and when their hearts become bitter the way they see their life.

And let's remind ourselves. A bitter person has never helped to change the world. It is the dreamers who build the future. They see beyond the circumstances and are able to show us that there are other possibilities. "Dreamers believe, and believers make dreams come true." We wouldn't be able to live the way we do, if some one hadn't dared to dream.

For instance, 'we wouldn't be able to read the written stories if no one had ever dreamed of recording their thoughts'. Many of the things we enjoy today are the result of someone else's dream that lived the world before us.

What about you and what is your dream? What will you leave to the world as a result of your dreams? One has to remember that life is not a rehearsal. Why don't you look inside your heart? Some of your dreams may fade if you don't work to make it happen, for the Lord, for your people or even for your family.

Allow me to give you one piece of advice as you read; remember what the Bible says about our desires (dreams), "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart".

Keep in mind, "A dreamers believe, and a believer makes dream come true".

Ask the Lord to give you dreams if you have none!