Are we Bangalies better at literature than sports?

[Night_wolf]

i dont remember where but in some other forums i read a guys post and he was talking about Bangalies as a race is Much better genes at literature, Sports doesn't suit them, they are not athletic enough.

Come to think of this we aren't a pure race..our race is mixed, so his point of our genes having more literature supremacy then sports is invalid, but he did raised a interesting issue

if we count the whole Bengali ethnic group i.e our west Bengal counterparts too, we haven't produced much world recognized athletes. just talking about cricket west bengal gave sourav ganguly to the world and we shakib al hasan, players who can be counted as world class players. other sports er kotha na bollei valo. in football both west and east bengal gave some decent players but they are by far world class.

on the other hand in literature our accolades are outstanding..Robindronath,Nazrul,Modusudon datta,Samsur Rahman...the list goes on and on..

[simon]

it's not "Then" but "than"
Grammar PHAIL

so the answer to your question is "NO"

[Night_wolf]

Originally Posted by simon
it's not "Then" but "than"
Grammar PHAIL

so the answer to your question is "NO"

its Fail not Phail...spelling Fail

[Antora]

We have been brought up in a culture where education has always been given first priority. Yes we are a mixed race, but all have one thing in common- which I have seen, is that education is the way to go. I suppose that is why we have produced more brainiaks than athletes.

whilst Robindranath had been writing from a young age, he was encouraged to do so, where as ( its a little less now) an ordinary child in Bangladesh who wants to be the next Shakib, will be encouraged to study than take up sport, hence we have produced basically no athletes when comparing to the rest of the world

[simon]

ay hay,Nekre edit koira phelchey, should have quoted his post.
Me Phail

[deshprem]

I think regardless of race, if you have a strength/talent/skill, then it is all up to hard work to make the best of it, irrespective of what genes you have. education may dominate over sporting prowess, but that does not mean it applies to the whole race. why can't you be good at both? don't think they have to be mutually exclusive...

[Antora]

Originally Posted by deshprem
I think regardless of race, if you have a strength/talent/skill, then it is all up to hard work to make the best of it, irrespective of what genes you have. education may dominate over sporting prowess, but that does not mean it applies to the whole race. why can't you be good at both? don't think they have to be mutually exclusive...

You can be good at both and one should deffinately try to be good at something besides their studies. However, if you're not given the opportunity and lack resources, how can you be good at both?

[Rifat]

a lot of factors come into play such as: Culture, History, Language, Heritage, Diet. It is my general observation but I could always be wrong: Bangladeshi value intellect very highly(more than athletics). And Alhamdulillah! The Bangladeshi standard for Academic excellence is very very high(Something I never kept up with).

I pulled an around 30 all nighters for one class(those days when i rarely visited this site late 2008) and Alhamdulillah! I was so happy(super ecstatic) that i got a B in that class, and I told my mom, she was so upset why didn't you get an A? I was very heartbroken! Moral of the story: Allah rewards intention: Humans only look at the end result!

Most of the Bangladeshis that study abroad are excellent in their respective fields of Academia. anything less than a 4.0 is PHAIL! OUCH! That's the impression I got, and that's what i said!

Many Bangladeshis who live in Dhaka, particularly people who are in their 50s suffer from Diabetes, Heart Disease partly because of our diet. As a culture, there is not that much emphasis on the human body in Bangladesh(times may have changed) unlike in the United States. If you are guy, you are strongly encouraged by your peers and people to get six pack abs/healthy body. and of course, most females in the United States are super conscious about their weight/perfect body. When I used to Live in Bangladesh, I remember there wasn't that much emphasis on getting a perfect figure/losing weight.

Americans are very health conscious, when I lived In Bangladesh, to me it seemed like We as a Society are not really health conscious. This could be a big factor why compared to so many intellectuals, we produce so little athletes.

Athletes, by default must maintain a healthy standard of living by eating right and maintaining in shape/healthy fit body. In America, it is not just athletes, your average Joe neighbor wakes up 4 am in the morning and starts jogging, I am not joking. In Bangladesh, the general population is not too concerned about that(although times may have changed).

[deshprem]

Originally Posted by Antora
You can be good at both and one should deffinately try to be good at something besides their studies. However, if you're not given the opportunity and lack resources, how can you be good at both?

of course that's understandable, if you don't have the exposure/resources then that's that. some kid could've grown up without a pitch in sight, n they could've been the finest cricketer ever who knows... if you have found something you are good at, then run with it. I guess then the point is experience as much as you can so you know what life/the world etc has to offer.

culture and all that may play a part, but in the end, if you have a certain talent...then use it the best way you see fit.

[Night_wolf]

Originally Posted by Rifat
a lot of factors come into play such as: Culture, History, Language, Heritage, Diet. It is my general observation but I could always be wrong: Bangladeshi value intellect very highly(more than athletics). And Alhamdulillah! The Bangladeshi standard for Academic excellence is very very high(Something I never kept up with).

I pulled an around 30 all nighters for one class(those days when i rarely visited this site late 2008) and Alhamdulillah! I was so happy(super ecstatic) that i got a B in that class, and I told my mom, she was so upset why didn't you get an A? I was very heartbroken! Moral of the story: Allah rewards intention: Humans only look at the end result!

Most of the Bangladeshis that study abroad are excellent in their respective fields of Academia. anything less than a 4.0 is PHAIL! OUCH! That's the impression I got, and that's what i said!

Many Bangladeshis who live in Dhaka, particularly people who are in their 50s suffer from Diabetes, Heart Disease partly because of our diet. As a culture, there is not that much emphasis on the human body in Bangladesh(times may have changed) unlike in the United States. If you are guy, you are strongly encouraged by your peers and people to get six pack abs/healthy body. and of course, most females in the United States are super conscious about their weight/perfect body. When I used to Live in Bangladesh, I remember there wasn't that much emphasis on getting a perfect figure/losing weight.

Americans are very health conscious, when I lived In Bangladesh, to me it seemed like We as a Society are not really health conscious. This could be a big factor why compared to so many intellectuals, we produce so little athletes.

Athletes, by default must maintain a healthy standard of living by eating right and maintaining in shape

great read rifat bhai

[F6_Turbo]

Originally Posted by Rifat

Americans are very health conscious, when I lived In Bangladesh, to me it seemed like We as a Society are not really health conscious.

I get what you're saying...everyone wants a nice tan and abs happening for the summer, and so that your clothes look like they were painted on...but

Obesity in the US is beyond belief, the US is anything but a health conscious country. It's going to be the number 1 killer of Americans in the not too distant future.

[Zeeshan]

poro poro....fashion korar shomoy bohut paba....aynar shamen daraye chule gel diley keu hero hoy na....jau porte bosho

[Rifat]

Originally Posted by F6_Turbo
I get what you're saying...everyone wants a nice tan and abs happening for the summer, and so that your clothes look like they were painted on...but

Obesity in the US is beyond belief, the US is anything but a health conscious country. It's going to be the number 1 killer of Americans in the not too distant future.

Times are changing, my friend. Society is increasingly getting health conscious(it is a great thing, as we should know what we eat and we should have working knowledge of how our diet, and the choices we make in life affects our health). Yes, there are a lot of Obese people in America, The difference is School systems and TV constantly encourage the general public to combat Obesity, Eating healthy. Every town has a Gym/fitness clubs(at least in CT). The difference between Bangladesh and America is that Culturally there are forces to combat Obesity and unhealthy habits, I am not sure if in Bangladesh such forces exist...

[Rifat]

Originally Posted by Night_wolf
great read rifat bhai

thanks brother

[zinatf]

Originally Posted by Zeeshan
poro poro....fashion korar shomoy bohut paba....aynar shamen daraye chule gel diley keu hero hoy na....jau porte bosho

you just reminded me of my Dad! Same-to-same dialogue!

[deshprem]

Originally Posted by Rifat
a lot of factors come into play such as: Culture, History, Language, Heritage, Diet. It is my general observation but I could always be wrong: Bangladeshi value intellect very highly(more than athletics). And Alhamdulillah! The Bangladeshi standard for Academic excellence is very very high(Something I never kept up with).

I pulled an around 30 all nighters for one class(those days when i rarely visited this site late 2008) and Alhamdulillah! I was so happy(super ecstatic) that i got a B in that class, and I told my mom, she was so upset why didn't you get an A? I was very heartbroken! Moral of the story: Allah rewards intention: Humans only look at the end result!

Most of the Bangladeshis that study abroad are excellent in their respective fields of Academia. anything less than a 4.0 is PHAIL! OUCH! That's the impression I got, and that's what i said!

Many Bangladeshis who live in Dhaka, particularly people who are in their 50s suffer from Diabetes, Heart Disease partly because of our diet. As a culture, there is not that much emphasis on the human body in Bangladesh(times may have changed) unlike in the United States. If you are guy, you are strongly encouraged by your peers and people to get six pack abs/healthy body. and of course, most females in the United States are super conscious about their weight/perfect body. When I used to Live in Bangladesh, I remember there wasn't that much emphasis on getting a perfect figure/losing weight.

Americans are very health conscious, when I lived In Bangladesh, to me it seemed like We as a Society are not really health conscious. This could be a big factor why compared to so many intellectuals, we produce so little athletes.

Athletes, by default must maintain a healthy standard of living by eating right and maintaining in shape/healthy fit body. In America, it is not just athletes, your average Joe neighbor wakes up 4 am in the morning and starts jogging, I am not joking. In Bangladesh, the general population is not too concerned about that(although times may have changed).

I think what it comes down to is being the best person you can be. being book smart, being athletic, being informed about the world, and being healthy are things that can only make you a better person (i could be wrong). sometimes this may require you to challenge the status quo. in bangladesh culture, you cant really diversify and experience, its always study. but in other countries, kids are encouraged to be multi-talented. and i think that's the way it should be

[MohammedC]

Litter Achar is something I was never good at.

[Rabz]

We are great at both.
It's just our system phailing us.

Nekre, your thread is basically on the back of a frustrating defeat against the Afghans.
This sort of thing happens. Life goes on.

[roman]

Just to add to what Rifat brother is saying, we bangali have a tendency of gamla bhore bhaat khawa and then going to bed right after a super heavy meal. We have our dinner at around 9-11 but to have dinner at around 6-8 or at least 3 hours before bed time is highly recommended.
Obesity is a major concern in USA.Veey true. Mainly because of super size fries and soda, but the trend is changing and is changing very fast. People in general now are more health conscious than ever before. That's not the case for us. Too much Carbohydrate will reduce your athletic ability. Ei kotha ta amader moto vojon roshik ra bujhe na...

[Naimul_Hd]

Amra bangali ra obhinoy, fotkabazi, prem biroho, maan obhimaan e ostaad. Amra literature e best hobo na to ke hobe ?

[Leafs PWN]

Our Literatur > Sports.

We have a Nobel prize winner, and one of the greatest poets ever in Kazi Nazrul Islam, just to name a few.

Sports wise, we aren't there yet. Cricket is the only sport we're pretty good at.

We used to be good at hockey, but the lack of structure screwed that up.

[F6_Turbo]

Originally Posted by roman
Just to add to what Rifat brother is saying, we bangali have a tendency of gamla bhore bhaat khawa and then going to bed right after a super heavy meal. We have our dinner at around 9-11 but to have dinner at around 6-8 or at least 3 hours before bed time is highly recommended.
Obesity is a major concern in USA.Veey true. Mainly because of super size fries and soda, but the trend is changing and is changing very fast. People in general now are more health conscious than ever before. That's not the case for us. Too much Carbohydrate will reduce your athletic ability. Ei kotha ta amader moto vojon roshik ra bujhe na...

* I know we've veered away from the original topic of this thread

Gotta disagree...while obesity is starting to be a problem in Bangladesh(specially amongst the youth - kichu toh korar nai, fb, x-box, hindi serials etc etc), the awareness is increasing. It's basically a sign of our increasing wealth, think most developing countries go through this stage...

Regardless of where you live in Dhaka City now, step outside around at 6AM and you will see thousands of people out getting their morning exercise in. Gym membership is on the rise(astronomically in the female market segment) and health shows are on local channels on a daily basis. Diabetes being so widespread in Bangladesh has resulted in roti starting to become a staple for dinner in many households.

As for our athletic ability...we're fine. Our kids have nowhere to play sports...so we're all spectators rather than active participants, in such a scenario how do you expect us to excel?

Obviously some sports will always be out of bounds

-sprint events in track and field
-basketball(Muggsy Bogues was an exception, not the norm!)

But other sports require patronage and participation. Some US high school programs have access to better facilities than our national teams(let alone college programs), so yeah...need patience along with the obvious change in mindset(see how parents don't mind their kids playing cricket now...shakib-er moto lakh lakh taka income korbe!) - so people need to be able to see a ray of hope in terms of a livelihood in sports.

[Purbasha T]

সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলী, সত্যজিত রায়.. আহা!

[Navo]

I think we shouldn't equate excellence in literature with (supposed) excellence in academics. The modern Bengali mentality to beat an education into children is not conducive to excellent literature. Literature is premised on imagination and a GPA 5 is contingent on the eschewing of imagination. Most of the Bengali poets mentioned in the OP didn't complete their formal education and their work was not impaired by it.

I see two overriding purposes to education:
1. to encourage students to imagine and dream and to provide them with the tools and intellectual base to realize those dreams
and/or
2. to prepare them for a career

Regarding the first point, it goes without saying that the rigid structure in which most education systems function discourage imagination and experimentation. They also encourage students to specialize at a very young age, thus depriving them of the chance of fully exploring their potential in other fields.

And as regards to the second point, whilst Bangladeshi students often get great grades, they are not really prepared for the job market. Confidence, self-presentation, conciseness, thinking quickly on your feet, etc - these are skills that are not inculcated into students in Bangladesh in comparison to students in other countries. I suppose this is largely due to the greater emphasis on extra-curriculars abroad but given the amount of time Bangladeshi students spend with tutors, it's not surprising that most of them can't find the time to devote to debating, drama, science clubs etc. This may be why many job candidates, while great on paper, do not get through interview rounds (not that there aren't exceptions to this)

Disclaimer: This is not to disrespect the achievements of GPA 5/AAAA students. They worked extremely hard for it and they do what they have to do to survive in the system.

[Zeeshan]

amake keu khelay nito na, tai ami bhebechilam porashuna kore, gari ghura chore, manush hoye, ekdin PROTIHSHOUDH niye dekhiye debo shobaike...





..and we all know how that turned out