Sven on the Real Winners

“ Mental difference decide who the winners are.”

Many of us believe that teams with the most talented players are more destined for success than their counterparts. Sven Groan Erikson says otherwise.

Railo: Do you think it’s the most talented players in football who are the winners in the end?
Erikson: Unfortunately no, talent is a pre-requisite for success. If you look at the top footballers, playing ability among them is even. We can’t train more than we do either! So it’s mental differences which decide who the real winners are.
Sven also believes in athletes of a particular mental set up. He believes in, “great ambition without fear of failing” rather than great ambition with a performance anxiety and a great fear of losing. Read more…

Adapted from the Sven Goran Erikson on Football.

Good luck 2010!

A new year has begun and Map sports would like to wish all athletes competing in different sports codes a successful spell. Last year(2009) saw lady luck smiling at Map as we swooped more than six(6) trophies from different competitions. Clearly we made our mark on the sporting stage. Good luck guys and maintain the good performance.

The Battle of Highbury

The battle of Highbury is undoubtedly a collectors piece for Arsenal football clubs and it’s fans. This was a fiercely contested exhibition match between Italy and England at Highbury (by then Arsenal’s home ground). By then Italy’s vengeful leader Mussolini, had promised the players a brand new Alfa Romeo and a cash bonus, had they defeated England. The incentive did not work; England won 3-2 at the end rubbing salt on the fresh wounds of defeat the Italians had suffered to them during the 1938 world cup.

Cricket at MAP 2009

By A. Matshiya

Ordinarily a school with out a cricket pitch would not offer cricket. However, it is the Maru-a -Pula way not to stop at the first hurdle. The school has nets and hence much time is spent on batting practice. As it happens batting is our strength and that has served us well against local schools.

This season the U15 team took part in two tournaments and a festival. The first of the tournaments was the Botswana championship which was held at The Learning Centre School in early October. Maru-a-Pula was victorious in all their matches in the round robin event which involved five schools. The U15 team was captained by Dilan Sridan, who is an all rounder and a shrewd strategist! The team which consisted of more than half form ones, was a young one but full of talent and energyl. Huzaifa Babar was a reliable simmer(fast bowler) and pinch-hitter all season. At the Learning Centre the team had the services of two veterans in the form of Sundesh Perreira and Jathukulan. The two batted well and set good platforms from which the juniors could build.

The following weekend the team travelled to Francistown for an international tournament involving Botswana and Zimbabwe schools at John Mackenzie School. Our first game was against Petra school from Bulawayo. Petra proved too strong for our young team despite having a girl in their team and Govind Gopikumar putting up a brave 45 runs. However after that setback MAP recovered and went on to win The Plate following victories against GIS and Crescent school.

The festival in Mafikeng marked the third weekend of cricket on the trot for the team. Fatigue was setting in and this showed in the field. The boys were sluggish and dropped crucial catches. The team lost to Issa and Mafikeng High but beat Sol Plaatjie. Govind’s confidence was at its peak after the previous week’s antics. He stood out once more and was the undisputed prize batsman for our team.

It was a short but intense season that saw our cricket grow and our cricketers mature. Next year should see another good season of cricket for Dilan and the boys.