WHO IS IN YOUR CORNER??

Last Saturday waking up to Sunday of last week.Boxing fans around the world were treated to one of the biggest matches in the recent past to echo the words of promoter Frank Waren of Bloomsberry promotions.

The bout dubbed "Don't Blink" involved two British boxers who were very difficult to predict going by their matching abilities.The card was so close that it seemed that whoever pulled one wrong move or blinked would give their opponent significant advantage.The match ended in an 11th round referee stoppage.

Fabio Wardley the then incumbent WBO heavyweight champion got a really bad day in the office.By the time the man in the middle was stopping the fight he was barely seeing anything infront of him.The "Ipswich bomber" suffered a significant cut on his nose that bled quite profusely and the left eye was closed due to another swelling.Unbelievably, Fabio was still hanging in there, willing to still go all the way to the 12th and last round and loose by a unanimous decision rather than by TKO.Remarkably so,Fabio Wardley never once touched the canvas despite the huge barrage of combos coming his way.

Daniel" Triple D" Dubois the former champion and challenger had been dropped in the very first round and was again dropped in the third round only to like a phoenix coming from the ashes rise to pull a stellar performance.

Noticeably, Dubois seemed to have a very charged team in his corner.When the bell rang to end a round, especially in the first few where he was being caught with jabs dropping to the floor.His coach one 65yr old Don Charles would be heard shouting "hey Daniel,how are you feeling? ,you are not making use of your jab" ,and blah blah blah.

Then something remarkably unusual happened around the fourth round to the surprise of many.When Dubois was rising from his corner seat to get back to work.His coach Don Charles asked him to look into his eyes and delivered two rapid back to back slaps on his cheeks .

.And that's when all hell broke loose.That was the Damascus moment right there.Dubois completely switched on and brought out his A game in the next rounds dominating Fabio all the way to victory.And when the stoppage came ,you can only imagine how merrily his corner jumped into the ring to celebrate this victory.They had the world title back in their corner.

During the post match interview ,Daniel Dubois confessed to not having his head in the right place getting into the fight.He had come from a loss in his previous fight so his nerves were on him.Performance anxiety taking its toll.His corner even though he was being dropped.Including in the very first round didn't loose hope on him.They,believing it was in his ability to take the title back kept pushing him.Dubois also said he really needed those slaps from his coach,and it was for this reason that he dug deep and got back to a winners mindset.

In life as would be in a boxing match.Where for the "gladiators" their reputation is at stake.

Most times even their life is on the line(it's arguably the most dangerous sport in the world).Most times even family is around,think of kids watching daddy or even mummy these days,being thoroughly outboxed(must be traumatic).It comes down to who is it that you have in your corner.Do you have people who genuinely want to see you win,believe in you and would even go unconventional(the slaps)if you attempted to lag or shy away from an achievement that they know you deserve and has thoroughly been prepped for .

The importance of support systems even in everyday life cannot be downplayed.Fabio had a corner,skillful but probably a bit passive. Doing a casual job,probably having already done the math for the oncoming pay cheque if he won or otherwise.....But Dubois' corner had zeal,they knew a second loss would only work against his career going forward.They were hungry and they wouldn't let a cloudy judgement,nerves or shreds of uncertainty in their boxers mind stand on the way.Especially when they so well knew his acumen, combined with the preparation they had given him towards the fight.

The poignant question then becomes. Who do you have in your corner?.As has been clearly demonstrated, at times it's all that matters.The composition of your corner will directly correlate to your positive or negative trajectory.You are the average of...bad company corrupts...and other maxims have already been stated to this respect.Then look who is in your corner, and make sure it's comprised of the right men and women.And in my opinion, we all need a Don Charles.That person who is willing to even be a little mean for a good course.When it's possible to be cacooned in pity party,disblief and other unbecoming shenanigans that would block sight to the prize.

Shshsh.Someone just said they don't have a corner ,let alone know who it should comprise.And the response becomes,we all should advisably have a corner,there's no way you can go form A to Z to completion all stand alone.A corner would lighten the work by a huge margin,give clarity and much needed insight.So they should create a corner,network with the right people,the like minded and take it up from there.

You may all break,the sermon is over.

Ok kidogo...,Fabio Wardley has already activated the rematch clause so we are going to have a second take even within this year God willing.Plus I really like it that there's no bad blood between the two.There's mutual respect and sportsmanship.It's purely for the sports. No,for business. Yes, in perks worth millions of GBP's.

 

ETHICS,THE TRICK IN THE BOOK

By Kephas Mwangi Ndegwa

The blame game of why systems don’t deliver as they should, why institutions don’t align with objectives continues on  and on with few focusing on the root causes of most of this institutionalized problems.Scholars,contemporary and of previous generations have strived to highlight the place and value of ethics for the wellbeing of man,society,country and world at large.

Coruption culture is a popular codename associated with  malpractices including pilferage of  coffers and embezzlement of public funds by public officials entrusted with the same by the citizenry. A culture where using rogue means to rise to the echelons of corporations or public service only to enrich self while at it .Whilst endangering  and putting in jeopardy livelihoods of thousands if not millions of people who in one way or the other are affected by the under perfomance of the same institutions is rife.Whats baffling nevertheless, is the fact this culture is so engrained in society especially in particular parts of  the global south.That  one would almost be the laughing stock of  common rank and file if they made their way to the heights of especially  state corporations or offices only to serve diligently and not end up stinking rich with a loot enough for posterity.Slogans like the infamous  article quinze popularised in Congo  that calls for the citizenry to take charge of impending predicaments expecting no government  in their aid for the same   and do not let Nigeria happen to you only serve to rubberstamp  the devastating extent of this  inherent tempest.

The question becomes ,what is the trick in the book that can  aid in solving this corruption and institution malfunction puzzle that seems to so plague the individual,the society,and most of the countries in the developing world. And by so doing , perenially slams brakes on their emergence out of the manacles of foreign aid and other ploys that are a reserve of the third world .

A paradigm shift introducing a culture of ethics for the common good of all to shove out the lionized corruption culture for the benefit of a few and their kin and crony I bet is the magic pill that can bring about the long desired turn around.

I submit and dispute not the adage that it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks.The learn,relearn and unlearn cycle can turn out difficult for one who has only seen and learnt one way of doing things.  The most influential inventors  ie the Teslas and Thomas Edisons  are held in high regard for inventions they spearheaded and invoked insight about even if some came to fruition way afterwards.The objective truth is the fact that it would be a herculean task to cause a sudden change in the current state of affairs in a short duration to to the extent and depth of the problem.

A  viable suggestion would be to use the education systems to inculcate ethical values among the youth and other school going children and that way as they grow into young adults and into the workforce they not having reaped of or  gotten their hands dirty with the going ons of the old systems will be better placed to understand the benefits of executing functions ethically in the grand scheme of things when called upon to do so later in life.

Seromos como el Che is a recitation akin to the loyalty pledges of various jurisdictions recited in Cuban public  schools by young kids.Loosely translated it means  we want to be like Che Guevara the iconic revolutionary.

 Loyalty pledges with affirmations fronting only ethical execution of undertakings for the common good of person,society and motherland can also be designed for periodic recitation in schools coupled  with ethics classes and programmes once or twice a week in school timetables as an obligatory directive across the board from top leadership..This is the only way we can nip it in the bud and bring about a tectonic shift in our approach to even governance and other interactions going forward.

A kid is a blank slate as they put it.Teach a kid in the way that it should go and when they are all grown  they shall not depart from it is what on the other hand scripture would prescribe.Objectively,and sadly so, the much we can do with the status quo is to manage it as corrupt practices already encroached our systems and is a ship that has long sailed.

If we are talking about envisaging a brighter future  where systems will work optimumly  and governance would be close to  top notch if not top notch.Then  armed with  optimism and  goodwill we can begin to hardwire the younger generations for the same.Equipping them with the moral whereawithal by way of ethics classes,programs,skits,recitations et cetera in school that  serve to warn of the dangers of society devoid of ethics whilst painting a classic picture of what benefits ethical practices embraced first by individuals,then society and instituions would do for the motherland and world at large.Fromwhere I seat,only by so doing would underdeveloped countries like phoenixes from their ashes now emerge.Yes,ethics is the trick.Ethics is the x factor,the ingredient that is lacking.

MONSTER WITH A CROWN

Arose from  the orient,from the east

As they bought and sold,preparing for their feasts

Word went round,spread like rumors

Most took not heed,shelving it all as humor

Not a clown,it was the monster,with a crown

With a puffed up chest,it then turned to the west

And horiffic was the scene, all at it's behest

A reign of terror, heightened impunity

The aged were not spared,such was its audacity

Not a clown,it was the monster,with a crown

The streets ran but empty

When matters went opposite of petty

It was but trust to their pigeon holes

Or the risk of being wiped out whole

Not a clown,it was the monster,with a crown

Closed les ecoles,their jobs,their shops

Till  the question became,who's gon bring this to a stop

That the ' birds ' could begin to fly about again, to chirp again

That they could now hug again,hi-five again

Not a clown,it was a monster, with a crown

Busy became the day of a coroner

After had struck the epidimic corona

One of a kind in many days in history

Took days and months,till was achieved a victory

Not a clown,it was a monster,with a crown