I first heard the word “Ubuntu” said by a famous basketball coach. He claimed that it was that concept what guided his team to the NBA championship. What is Ubuntu and how is it related to sport?
The word comes from southern Africa and its meaning is “I am because we are”. Ubuntu is more than a word, it's a philosophy of life focused on respect, loyalty and care for people. For Africans, Ubuntu is the essence of being human. They explain that a solitary human being is a contradiction in itself, since we must learn from other human beings how to be human.
In sports teams, this philosophy consists of each member wishing the best for their teammates and taking care of the group in general. Understand that the group is more important than individuals. It's true that tennis is an individual sport, but there are practically no athletes who train alone. No one can succeed alone. The concept of Ubuntu in tennis exists in every work group and every training session. In the relationships between players and coaches, and also between players and other players. When selfishness and envy dominate within the work team, very little can be accomplished. These features are exactly the opposite of Ubuntu.
As an example of the Ubuntu philosophy, I will take the Argentine tennis player Sebastián Báez. In an interview, he was asked about his long-term goals and aspirations in tennis. Most tennis players answer “be top ten” or “win a Grand Slam” to these types of questions. Báez answered something very different: “maintain the same work team throughout my career.” The group above the individual. Team achievement, working together. That's Ubuntu.
Mungi Ngomane (2020) Ubuntu, lessons of African wisdom to live better (Grijalbo publishing house)
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