Allon Sinai's Beijing Diary: Appreciating the true joy and beauty of sport

One of the charms of the Olympics is that it gives you the chance to watch sporting events that, during the rest of the year, you wouldn't even dream of giving a second look.

By ALLON SINAI
allon sinai Olympics 88 (photo credit: )
allon sinai Olympics 88
(photo credit: )
One of the charms of the Olympics is that it gives you the chance to watch sporting events that, during the rest of the year, you wouldn't even dream of giving a second look. Searching for a refuge from the scorching weather, I decided to stroll into the National Indoor Arena on Saturday after noticing that the final of the women's handball tournament was just about to begin. Little did I know, but the next two hours would be some of the more enjoyable ones I have gotten to experience during the Games. For the record, Norway defeated Russia 34-27 to complete a perfect tournament and claim the first handball gold medal in its history. The final result, however, could have been vice versa and it would have made no difference to me. Despite never attending a women's handball game before, I couldn't help but get caught up in the excitement generated by both sides. It was irrelevant who the favorite was or how the sides had reached the final. The important thing was that both teams truly captured the Olympic spirit in fighting for supremacy for every second of the match, but displaying the upmost respect for each other after the final whistle. Their sportsmanship reminded everybody in attendance what the Games are all about and why every four years they have the world mesmerized. As in real life, there may be winners and losers, but only at the Olympics do they also accept the result with a smile and an embrace.