* Samsung Global Bloggers’ comments are individual opinions and do not represent the official stance of Samsung Electronics.
Samsung Global Bloggers have been bringing you stories straight from the London. This is latest update from David Kim.
If you were to ask me about loyalty, I would have an answer for you. Really good one. Growing up in Maryland, I supported Washington DC professional sports teams and never have I deviated away from them. Our (notice how I use the plural form, as if I’m part of the team) football team has had three playoff appearances since 1993. The basketball team has been in a funk ever since our star player brought a gun to the locker room (I won’t go into details of how stupid that was). And don’t get me started on our hockey team, which can never quite get to the elite level. I can go on and on about how miserable it is to be a sports fan in the DC area. And yet, I love them. I don’t switch my teams. Why? Because they are part of my life. I grew up watching them. I watched the players sweat, laugh and cry. While I’m obviously not a member of their organizations, I feel as if I am.
I witnessed a similar type of loyalty today. It’s slightly different— loyalty to your nation. Now, you might think loyalty to your nation is an obvious act. It’s hard to find someone who does not like his or her own nation. But how far are you willing to go to show love and support for your country? I found one example today at the Wimbledon Park in the tennis preliminaries.
Virginie Muller is from Switzerland. She and her friend came to London to support the Swiss athletes.
“London is a beautiful city,” she said. “There’s no better place to cheer our players. Maybe besides Switzerland.”
Muller and her friend supported Swiss tennis players today. They also plan to watch swimming, in which another Swiss player is competing.
In games where Swiss players are participating, Muller carries the Swiss flag with pride. She also paints her nails in the Swiss national colors and wears a Swiss shirt.
“I feel very proud to see Swiss players perform,” she said.
Muller was not the only person showing her support for her nation’s players. Fans from European nations like Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, and of course the host nation United Kingdom, Asian nations like China, India, and Japan, and South American nations like Argentina and Brazil were all present in Wimbledon today. They were easy to spot, wearing their nation’s colors and passionately cheering for their nation’s players.
They are all spending precious time, money, and energy to support their nations. Where else can you find a scene like this? Only at the Olympics. When I talked with Muller and listened to her speak proudly of Switzerland, I understood exactly what she meant and felt about her Swiss players. So tonight, when you head home and flip on TV, try to cheer a little louder for your national team.
.jpg)