In Defence of the Brits

It’s unfair to mock the English for not being good at sports

Which is the No 1 team in Tests and One-day Internationals? England.

Which country has won most titles in Formula One? The UK. Ten British drivers have won the F1 championship 14 times in all.

Which country produced Bradley Wiggins, this year’s Tour de France winner? England.

Which country stood third in the medals tally, after sports superpowers the United States and China, at the London Olympics? Great Britain.

In football, the world’s most popular and greatest sport, England may not have won a World Cup since 1966. But they remain one of only eight countries to have won the competition. And they came close to reaching the final in 1990.

In tennis, yes, the UK has disappointed. But Andy Murray is getting closer every day to winning a major. Yes, he is Scottish not English, but he is British. And if we include Northern Ireland, a part of the UK, in this argument, Rory McIlroy is the winner of the most recent golf major.

For long, England/ Britain/ UK have been mocked for being underachievers in sport. This was a harsh accusation, stemming either from a long held grudge or just because the British were easy targets. 

When the derision came from, say, Australia or the US, it was acceptable. They were sporting superpowers (though Australia finished a lowly 10th in the medals table in London). But it was a bit rich when India also chimed in. With the exception of cricket, there are few major sports in which India can compete with the UK. And yet, touchy legends of Indian sport and thin-skinned Indian media have often vindictively harped on the relative shortcomings of the English, be it their athletes or their media. The English press, for example, is accused of hyperbole and being too critical of the East. This might be true on occasion, but the Indian media is not much better.

The UK, as mentioned above, has not always been as poor at sports as made out to be. Also, the UK has contributed to sport through the great events they founded. Sport is unimaginable without Wimbledon, golf’s British Open, the English cricket season and football’s Premier League, to name a few. Britain’s organisation and performance at the Olympics has a lesson for India. Put your own house in order before criticising those who might not be the best, but are better in many respects.

About The Author

Akshay Sawai