I set up a page to tell the world about the success of my country's sport men and women .Then I check my statistics and I see that so many visitors of my page want to know the secret of the Hungarians .
Well , you might have heard that Hungary with a population of 10 .million got 17 medals at the Games .8 of them were GOLD !
This way our rank at the medal per capita list is : the fifth - number five of all the countries in the world -if we compare the number of gold medals to the population .
I do not think that there is a special secret of that , Hungary is not a bunch of stupid /low performing people -as a lots of media report suggests . I know also that there is a vast anti-Hungarian propaganda world-wide showing only the negative aspects of the Magyars life .At the Games where the numbers talk for themselves the success can not be ignored .
Once when I was working as a tour-guide an American tourist asked me " Can you read and write ?"
and without waiting for the answer " your country will be better off if the next generation will go to school" Well ,you really need to keep cool when doing this job .
I tried to be polite when answering " yes, I know how to read and write and even my great -great grandmothers knew it . Hungary's law on public education dates back to the 19th century . One of my grandma was a teacher with college degree .My other grandma had made four grades at the elementary school -as that was the minimum required compulsory level for every child in the 1920s .
Our first gold medals are coming from the 19th century Athene Games .Doing sport /competitions have more than 100 year old tradition .My little hometown has an Olympic champion .Some of my friends were working hard to be able to go to the Olympics . Though they did not manage to do so they keep organizing events for other ladies /housewives and for kids .The tradition of doing sport is kept this way .
The other thing is the policy of the country . When I was at the secondary at the PE lessons twice a year we had to perform various activities .We had to high -jump ,long jump ,sprint , running 600 meters . Teachers had to send the records to a center where they could find easily the talented ones .
Most towns have sport clubs .Our town had football /chess /karate /athletic /wrestling/kayak/canoe /swimming/shooting/gliding clubs . The trainings were free or nearly free .For the poor kids sport can be often a way to break out from the poverty( yes , we have gypsies performing wonderfully) -and for the wealthy this my be a question of prestige .
So there are many factors .After all I do not think that any of these things are so special - we love our country -as other people love their own .Money has little if any importance at this .What do you think ?
Showing posts with label the secret of the Hungarian success at the Olympics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the secret of the Hungarian success at the Olympics. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
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