Memories of Mandela

By Simon Wright - Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

Thursday night was a sad evening for the world as the news filtered through of the death of Nelson Mandela. The former president of South Africa had been ill for the majority of the year and it is fair to say that while we weren’t surprised of his passing, it still comes as a devastating shock when it was officially confirmed by current president Jacob Zuma a few days ago.

Nelson Mandela was an inspiration to all and a person I looked upto

His funeral next Sunday will be among the biggest of our time, up alongside the likes of Princess Diana and the Queen Mother. All of us would have heard of Mandela and those who delve into the historical archives will also be aware of his life and his extraordinary heart to forgive those who imprisoned him for so long throughout the 95 years he shared with us on our planet. Mandela (pictured) did so much in the world and was one of the 20^th century’s most influential figures. He didn’t just make South Africa a better place to live; he touched everyone with his appeal, charisma and determination for a more peaceful world. He made some powerful speeches (no Paris Hilton – not ‘I Have a Dream!) and made enormous sacrifices to help those who needed him most. No-one should ever forget the charity work that he conducted, even more so after he retired from office in 1999.

For me, I felt this death more than when other famous figures have passed away. When we grow up, we all have people that inspire us or heroes to look upto. I had two and Mandela was one of these. I looked upto him and had huge respect for what he did for his country and for others who needed the help and support.

I have two lasting memories of Mandela’s legacy – one of bringing a nation together and another of mixing sport and politics and providing some memorable pictures still widely remembered today.

After he was finally released from prison in February 1990, following over 25 years in jail and many of those in the harshest of conditions possible, Mandela aimed to unite South Africa and end the terrible Apartheid regime that had seen the country almost totally excluded from world matters. He became president of the ANC (African National Congress) and urged for the fighting to stop, the guns to be laid to rest and for a country to unite itself. There is no doubt in my view that without the presence of Mandela, South Africa would have slipped into civil war and if anyone remembers the conflicts in the 1990s in Bosnia, Kosovo and the constant battle between the Israelis and Palestinians, it would have been a nasty fight for supremacy. 

With Mandela as the driving force, South Africa was pulled back from the brink and in April 1994 came the first ever democratic elections in the country. I always remember the news bulletins of people queuing in their hundreds of thousands to vote. This was historic; one of the worlds most powerful stories of a dramatic final decade of the 20th century. It came at a time where the world was rapidly changing. Germany had been reunified, the USSR was dissolved and even for a while, the conflict in the Middle East had been halted by a peace agreement. I might have only been five at the time, but the impact of Mandela struck a chord with me. When I read his full story a few years later in my education, I fully appreciated his background. I knew the main facts but understanding it took more took time. Unsurprisingly Mandela was an overwhelming winner of the election and became president, serving one term in office. With him at the helm, the good times came back to the South African people and they had been missing for many years.

A year later, the Rainbow Nation hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup. South Africa were ranked only 10^th in the world and had little hope of ending the domination of the world rugby powers at the time which were New Zealand and Australia. There were still problems as the minority of white people felt on his election that they were going to be excluded from this revolution. Not so in Mandela’s eyes. He saw everyone as equal and had regular dialogue with the Springboks players, particularly skipper Francois Pienaar as they made the final, beating the world champions Australia in the first match and the French in a semi-final that was more remembered for the shambolic weather conditions.

In the final, South Africa played the all-conquering All Blacks and the most feared player in international rugby at the time in Jonah Lomu. Lomu had battered Ireland, Wales and Scotland in the early rounds and then ran rings around England in the semi-finals, scoring four tries. Surely this was a complete mismatch in the showpiece event? However it was not just a sporting occasion but a political landmark.

Mandela believed his country could win and made an entrance onto the field wearing a Springboks rugby jumper before the game, rather than his best suit. Any other worldwide politician would have done the latter but Mandela was not an ordinary individual, he was a classy politician. He shook the hands of every South African player and the Ellis Park crowd responded. The chants of ‘Mandela, Mandela’ motivated the hosts. The game itself wasn’t a classic but the occasion overshadowed this. South Africa triumphed 15-12 in extra-time and afterwards, the players all bowed together in prayer to thank God for this incredible moment. It was left for Mandela, still in his Springboks rugby jumper to present Pienaar with the golden Webb Ellis trophy in one of sport’s most famous moments of the past 30 years. This was a time where sport and politics – often a dangerous combination, came together perfectly and it was because of Nelson Mandela. This story was so powerful; Hollywood turned it into a movie – ‘Invictus’ which was released in 2009.

In later years, his health did deteriorate but the tributes that flowed in after his death was confirmed, not just from famous faces in politics, showbiz and sport but also from people I know on my Twitter and Facebook news feeds showed how much Mandela was valued, respected and thought of by so many people worldwide.

Nelson Mandela - 18th July 1918 - 5th December 2013

While we are all sad that he is no longer with us, his spirit will remain and his legacy will be untouched forever. It is time to say goodbye and thank Nelson Mandela because he made the world a much better one to live on. For me, he is the most inspirational person that has lived in my lifetime. The world will move on and it must do but no-one should forget Nelson Mandela. He will always be remembered for his kindness, thoughtful and peaceful approach to his beloved South Africa and our planet.

Farewell Madiba and thank you.

Nelson Mandela – 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013, RIP.

Categories: 1990, 20th Century, Apartheid, Elections, Hollywood, Jacob Zuma, Madiba, Nelson Mandela, Rugby World Cup, South Africa

Great British sporting moments

By Simon Wright

At 5.24pm on Sunday evening, the longest drought in British sport was finally consigned to the history books.

After 77 years of hurt, pain and close calls, Britain has a men’s singles champion at Wimbledon.  Andy Murray battled through hot temperatures on a scorching day at SW19 and the persistence of his opponent, the world number one Novak Djokovic to beat the Serbian in straight sets 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.

The reaction of Murray afterwards was one of finally achieving his dream, and he has turned it around in the last 12 months.  He had a lot of people, me included who struggled to accept him as a great tennis player.  Last year’s agonising four-set final defeat on Centre Court to Swiss master Roger Federer was the turning point.

Murray’s emotional speech after the match showed the pain he felt at losing the biggest match of his career, but since then, the man from a small town in Scotland called Dunblane has turned his career around.

He dismantled Federer just under a month later on the same court to win Olympic Gold for Team GB, before seeing off Djokovic in a five-set marathon to claim his first Grand Slam at the US Open last September. 

Despite missing the French Open through injury in May, Murray has reached the Australian Open final, won three ATP titles including the AEGON Championships at Queen’s Club, and now the biggest prize in tennis.

It is a feat that I never thought I would ever see – and over 17 million viewers tuned onto the BBC on Sunday to see history being made in London.

Sporting fans are going through a golden generation of British success.  Last year was simply unbelievable.  We had Bradley Wiggins becoming the first Brit to ever win the Tour de France, cycling’s ultimate race.  Manchester City won their first league title in over 40 years with a finish we will never see again in the Premier League, there was Chelsea finally becoming Champions of Europe in Munich and of course, the unforgettable fortnight of London 2012 – an event that truly brought sport and the nation together as we witnessed some remarkable feats.

Along with Murray, I've picked out five sporting feats that are among my favourites of all-time.

There are some that have just missed out, including Virginia Wade winning Wimbledon in 1977, Sir Steve Redgrave’s fifth Olympic Gold medal in Sydney in 2000, Liverpool’s breathtaking comeback to win the Champions League in Istanbul in 2005, and the famous Bolero dance in 1984 by Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean that won gold in Sarajevo.

England win the FIFA World Cup, 1966

This memory is way too early for me, but it is something that we will probably never see again – well unless we live in fantasy land.  That is England being football world champions.

It happened on home soil in 1966 and to make it better, West Germany were the opponents in the final.

Bobby Moore lifts the Jules Rimet trophy, England's finest football moment

Sir Geoff Hurst was the hero on the day, as he became the first player in World Cup final history to score a hat-trick.  England did lead 2-1, but were taken to extra-time before a linesman from the country of Azerbaijan declared that Hurst’s second goal did cross the line.

With the Germans pushing forward to score, gaps opened up in the defence and Hurst broke clear to complete his hat-trick, with the famous words from commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme; “And here comes Hurst, there’s some fans on the pitch, they think it’s all over.”

Alf Ramsay’s men won the game 4-2, and it was left for iconic captain Bobby Moore (pictured) to collect the Jules Rimet trophy to declare England as world champions. 

Since then, there were close calls in Italia 90 and Euro 96 for major prizes, before those darn penalties got in the way, and no-one will forget Germany 1-5 England in September 2001, but the drought of no success is set to continue for some time to come.

Rugby World Cup Glory Down Under, 2003

Getting up on a Saturday morning was never more anticipated than on Saturday, 22 November 2003.  Telstra Stadium in Sydney was the venue for the Rugby World Cup final between holders and hosts Australia and Sir Clive Woodward’s England.

England went to the finals as favourites and ranked as the number one side according to the IRB rankings.  However, they hadn’t found their best form in the tournament yet, lucky to beat Samoa in the pool stages and being outplayed but somehow winning the quarter-final with Wales.  Australia meanwhile had stunned the All Blacks to reach the final against the odds.

It was Australia who started the quickest, as Loite Tuqiri went over for the opening try inside five minutes.  Penalty goals on a blustery evening dominated a tense and nail-biting encounter, but Jason Robinson’s late try towards the end of the first half, coupled with three penalties from Jonny Wilkinson had England going in 14-5 at the interval.

Mistakes allowed the Aussies back into the game and with one minute left of normal time, Elton Flatley converted his third penalty in a row to level the scores at 14-14 and take the game into extra time.

Not much had changed after the extra 20 minutes, with sudden death approaching and the game on a knife-edge at 17-17, when Wilkinson, who had missed three earlier drop goal attempts, got his fourth attempt spot on.  With 25 seconds to go, England were back infront and held on to claim a 20-17 win and be crowned 2003 Rugby World Cup winners.

It was a momentous day, a superb feat and made English rugby the prime sport for a while in this country.  Another final has followed since, although more inconsistent form has been the story of the past decade.  However, rugby union never felt so good than it did on that November morning a decade ago.

England regain the Ashes, 2005

After 17 years of constant defeats from Australia’s legendary cricket side, England finally had a chance with a decent team of taking on the Australians in the 2005 Ashes series.  It turned out to be a momentous seven weeks for the game of cricket, as it became the most talked about sport during this period.

Australia waltzed to a convincing victory in the first test at Lord’s, with legendary bowler Glenn McGrath doing the damage, taking five wickets in his opening spell.  England fought back at Edgbaston where McGrath was ruled out through injury.  Despite the best efforts of Shane Warne, Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz, England won the second test by just two runs in Birmingham in one of the most thrilling games of cricket that was ever seen.

The captains took their turn to control proceedings at Old Trafford a few days later.  Michael Vaughan became the first player in the series to hit a century, before Ricky Ponting defied England’s strong bowling attack of Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard and Ashley Giles on the final day to ensure the series remained at 1-1.

At Trent Bridge, England dominated, but almost threw the match away with some sloppy shots, and tremendous bowling from Warne and Lee.  Chasing 127 to win, it was the eighth wicket partnership from Giles and Hoggard that got the home side home by three wickets to take a 2-1 series lead.

So it came to The Oval, where England only needed to avoid defeat to regain the Ashes.  Australia had to win and showed early intent, reducing England to a below-par 373, before Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer started eroding the advantage significantly.  Flintoff, who had an unbelievable series, tore through the Australian middle order on the Sunday morning to leave England six runs ahead.

Michael Vaughan lifts the urn aloft after England's 2005 triumph

Then, on 57-3 on the final day, Kevin Pietersen survived two dropped catches and a couple of run out calls to hit a maiden test century, and take the game away from Australia.  The match was drawn and England could celebrate.  There were scenes (pictured) that hadn’t been seen since the dramatic home series of 1981, but were repeated four years later with victory in the 2009 series.

England start as overwhelming favourites to win the Ashes again this summer.  The first test starts tomorrow at Trent Bridge in Nottinghamshire.

Lewis Hamilton wins the Formula One title on the last corner, 2008

The 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship was one full of action, intrigue, stunning drives and some glaring mistakes.  It came down to a final race showdown in Brazil, with Britain’s Lewis Hamilton holding a seven-point lead over the local lad Felipe Massa.

Hamilton only needed a fifth place finish in Sao Paulo to become the youngest ever champion in the sport’s history and was untroubled for much of the day, looking secure in fourth place behind Massa, Fernando Alonso’s Renault and the second Ferrari of reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen.

Then the rainclouds arrived and with five laps to go, all the top runners had to pit for intermediate tyres.  Toyota made a brave gamble and kept Timo Glock out on dry tyres, and Hamilton was now in a vulnerable position as the German slipped past whilst he was being serviced.

With three laps to go Hamilton allowed the lapped Robert Kubica to pass him, but slid wide and the Toro Rosso of Sebastian Vettel dived past into fifth place, meaning Hamilton was now out of the world championship position he needed to be in.

Massa did everything he needed to do, cruising across the line to take his sixth win of the season, and for 30 seconds or so, the Brazilian had done it.  However, the rain intensified and Glock on his dry tyres was a sitting target.  Into the final corner, both Vettel and Hamilton passed the limping Toyota, with the McLaren powering up the hill to become the 2008 Formula One World Champion.

Ferrari didn’t notice this and started celebrating, but they had got it wrong.  It was Hamilton’s ex-girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger and the McLaren mechanics who had got their calculations right.  Hamilton was champion and in the most unbelievable manner possible.  He made history on the final corner of a truly remarkable season, all of this on ITV’s final afternoon of broadcasting the sport after 12 years.

Super Saturday, 2012

There are so many memories from last summer’s Olympics and we all have our own personal favourites.  Among mine was Sir Chris Hoy’s sixth gold medal in cycling, Jade Jones winning the Taekwondo and Katie Taylor taking Ireland’s first gold for 16 years in women’s boxing.

However, none of that can topple the amazing events on Super Saturday.  Not even a predictable Team GB penalty shootout defeat in football could turn the night into a sour one.

The team had already won three gold medals in the day, two more in rowing and one in the Velodrome, but it was the events in the Olympic Stadium that were simply awe-inspiring.

First, Jessica Ennis completed her domination of the women’s heptathlon event.  Ennis took victory in the final event, the 800m to stamp her authority on the two-day competition.  The Sheffield athlete broke her own British heptathlon record for points, and finished over 300 points clear of her nearest rival.  After the injury pain of missing out on Beijing in 2008, Ennis had shown to the world that she was the best all-round athlete.

Moments later, Greg Rutherford from Bletchley in Milton Keynes leapt 8.31m to extend his lead in the men’s long jump final.  No-one else got close and after his own injury nightmares of previous years, Rutherford had pulled off an unexpected but no less deserved gold medal.  He became the first Brit to win the long jump competition since Lyn Jarvis in Oslo in 1964.

Then, it was the turn of Mo Farah to take the limelight.  Against a top field of Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes, Farah showed them up with a brilliant tactical run, before kicking twice on the final lap to pull clear of the field and win the men’s 10,000m.  The stadium went crazy and Team GB had just won three gold medals in the space of half an hour.  It was undoubtedly the best night in British athletics history, and quite possibly, the greatest moment in British sporting history.

Those five moments, together now with Andy Murray’s glory at Wimbledon are my personal favourites.  I’m sure we will see many more great British sporting moments in the coming years, but for now, let’s enjoy and bask in recent glories and accept that at the moment, Great British sport is in a happy and very successful place.

Categories: Andy Murray, Ashes, Australia, Britain, England, Jessica Ennis, Jonny Wilkinson, Lewis Hamilton, Rugby World Cup, Scotland, Sir Geoff Hurst, Sport, Team GB, Wimbledon, World Cup