Hey all,
  So, the valiant Cubs have finally ended their dream run. They were beaten by a surprisingly-brilliant and well organised Haiti side yesterday. Despite this, the cubs still have to negotiate a tricky third-place play off tie, so as to ensure that they leave this tournament with a good reputation.

   The fact that this third place playoff match comes just three days after the Cubs' loss shows the importance of being able to bounce back from setbacks. After all, the Cubs will need to dig deep to get all the energy and spirit they can so as to ensure they manage to obtain a win and leave with a medal. Just imagine, do you think the Cubs would be able to play their best, should they be still reeling from the defeat and be unable to get rid of the sickening feeling of defeat? I am sure they would not.

   The ability to recover from setbacks is undoubtedly an important part of sport. After all, as many successful athletes have pointed out, there is a difference being a winner and being a champion. A winner is just one who is able to defeat others, while a champion is a completely different person: One who has the right values in sport, who is able to graciously embrace defeat, and more importantly, learn from the defeat. From this point of view, it certainly is tough to consider Michael Schumacher, a F1 driver who is knowned for his willingness to do anything to secure a win, a champion, while Roger Federer would certainly fit well into this category. Although comparisons between these two talented sportsman are not extremely accurate due to them participating in different sports, the fact that Roger Federer is much more well-recieved as compared to Michael Schumacher speaks for itself: That champions are well-liked by fans, while pure winners are not.

   As such, I hope that the Singapore Cubs would be able to learn from successful athletes, Roger Federer included, and accept that they have room for improvement before picking themselves up and getting the job done on Wednesday. Should they be able to do this, they will undoubtedly be able to go far in life, as to be a successful sportman, you need to have the right traits. And being able to graciously accept defeat and bounce back from it is up there as one of the most important.