Nelson Mandela on what makes a champion

By Rakesh Rao

SYDNEY, SEPT. 3. Much before Nelson Mendela was hailed as the `champion of the human spirit, he was an aspiring boxer. The former South African president may not have realised his dream of being a ``champion at the Olympic Games due to ``limited abilities but today, his mere presence is enough to floor a gathering of accomplished ``champions in their chosen field.

This was proved beyond doubt when the 83-year-old captivated a host of celebrity champions, leading authorities and eminent researchers who had gathered in the Olympic city for the two-day seminar on ``What makes a champion? on Sunday.

The seminar aims to discover the elements in common with all great achievers, not necessarily in the field of sports. The Great Hall of the University of Sydney is the venue where champions from every persuasion - arts, politics, science, business, military and sports - share their views on the subject of the making of a champion.

Mandela, suffering from a sour throat, opened with a remark like, ``I am the master of my voice and I am going to force it, before going on to charm the august gathering. Those present included, among others, the 1960 Olympic gold medallist in 1500m and the current head of the Australian Olympic Committee, Everest- conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary and Nobel laureate Dr. Peter Doherty.

He touched upon the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and stressed the importance of commitment and dedication in the making of a champion.

Australian actor Jack Thompson, who turned 60 today, presented to Mr. Mandela a painting on behalf of Sir Don Bradman. The greatest living cricketer, in his note to Mr. Mandela, regretted not being present on the occasion owing to indisposition. In Sir Bradman's words, Mandela remains ``a champion of humanity and a man with a compassion for mankind.

Before Mr. Mandela's arrival, Mr. Herb Elliot had reacted sharply to the remark of Patricia O'Shane, the first aboriginal barrister, that she believed most athletes in the forthcoming Games would be on performance-enhancing drugs. She carried on by saying, ``it is part of a win-at-all-costs attitude that pervades sport and saw it as part of a wider problem.

Elliot, who rose to fame by winning the running away with the 1500m gold with a 20-metre margin in the 1960 Olympics in Rome and remained unbeaten for 44 races over the distance, snatched the opportunity to refute the charges made by the controversial jurist.

Elliot said, ``I'd be very surprised if any more than one or two athletes at the Olympic Games were caught using drugs. He pointed towards those present while keeping his eyes fixed on Ms. O'Shane and continued, ``all these people could also have become thieves but there two at least two reasons why they have not chosen to do so. One, they may be caught and second, it is not the right thing. Coming back to the present Games, he said, ``there must be some (using drugs) but I know most of them are clean.

Even after the gathering dispersed, the duo carried on their debate privately.

Professor Allan Snyder, the man behind the show, hoped that the event became a permanent feature and that Olympics was used as the quintessential platform for the exploration of human achievement across the spectrum.

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