The second category of sportspeople are very rare as very few have the heart to sacrifice their personal ambitions and watch an opponent take all the glory. Through acts of honesty and kindness, these type of sportsmen have time and time again reminded humanity that winning is not just everything. A person earns respect if they win fairly and get even more revered if they resist the temptation to win through unfair methods.
With that in mind, the following is a list of 7 sportspeople, in no particular order, who have warmed the hearts of million by being noble, honest and kind on the field of play.
1. Paolo Di Canio
He never misses on such lists despite his controversial nature. Ever aggressive and outspoken, the Italian showed his soft side while playing for West Ham in a match against Everton in December 2000. With both teams fighting hard to get a winning goal, Di Canio had the chance to give his team the three points but shunned the opportunity and instead stopped play when he noticed that the opponent's goalkeeper, Paul Gerrard, was on the ground writhing in pain after having twisted his knee.
The moment changed many's perspective on the Italian who was widely applauded for his sportsmanship. Di Canio would be later honoured by FIFA with the Fairplay Award for that year.
2. Luz Long and Jesse Owens
The 1936 Olympics Games in Berlin was, in view of Adolf Hitler, supposed to highlight the supremacy of the Aryan race over races he considered to be inferior.
However it was not to be as an African-American by the name Jesse Owens stole the show by winning 4 gold medals at the event.
Owens would not have won the gold medal in long medal had it not been for advice he received from not just an opponent, but his toughest opponent who ironically was a German by the name Luz Long.
Owens had made two foul jumps and looked to be in danger of missing out on featuring at the finals. Before his third and crucial jump, Luz approached him and advised him to start his jump a few inches before the take-off board and he would clear the 7.15 metre mark that was required of the jumpers to make the final.
The American followed Luz's advice and he made the finals which he won as the German finished second. For more on that touching story, read Jesse Owens recollection of the incident .
3. Tana Umaga and Collin Charvis
Tana Umaga became the first player from New Zealand to receive the Peirre De Coubertin medal in 2003 after he gave first aid to Wales' Collin Charvis during a 2003 test match. The Welshman had been knocked out cold by an opponent and as other players continued with play, Umaga stopped playing and instead checked on the unconscious Charvis. He first ensured that he had not swallowed his mouth guard and then put him in a recovery position before he was attended to by team doctors.
4. Robbie Fowler
In a match for Liverpool against Arsenal in 1997, the former Reds striker slipped and fell as he was chasing a ball from a teammate. The referee however awarded a penalty adjudging him to have been fouled by Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman. Fowler was however categorical that a penalty decision was not correct as he had only slipped. The referee stood his ground and Fowler, being his team's first-choice taker, had no choice but to come face to face with Seaman. Fowler did not want to betray his integrity and therefore hit a tame shot that was punched by Seaman only for Jason McAteer to smash home the rebound. Despite that, Fowler had already made his point.
5. Jacqueline Nyetipei Kiplimo
The Kenyan marathoner would have finished first at the 2010 Zheng-Khai marathon in China had she not stopped numerous times to assist a disabled Chinese athlete drink water as the photo below aptly captures. Jacqueline finished second in the race and even though she lost $10 000 as a result, she had already won the hearts of millions with her act of kindness.
6. Miroslav Klose
In a match for Lazio against Napoli in 2012, the German convinced the referee to disallow a goal he had scored using his hand. Klose is not just a top striker but also a top sportsman.
7. Ivan Fernandez Anaya
On December 2, 2012, the Spaniard was taking part in a cross-country race in his country. He was second to Abel Mutai, 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist in 300om steeplechase, and with just 10 or so metres to go, he noticed Abel slowing down. Abel had thought he had crossed the finished line and instead of taking advantage of Abel's mistake even after catching up with him, owing to a language barrier between the two, Ivan used gestures to guide the Kenyan to the finish line instead of claiming an unlikely win.
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