After the historic triumph of the Latvian men's 3x3 basketball team at the Tokyo Olympics, many a sports fan felt not only thrilled, but also inspired, because our guys proved that with the right attitude and sport in your heart, anything is possible. Just like in the movies, but this time for real.
Before you go out to polish your basketball and lace up your sports shoes, here's an extra dose of inspiration in the form of 30 great sports quotes.
"If you want to be the best, you have to do things that others are not prepared to do."
/Michael Phelps/
"If you think you can't, you can't, and if you think you can, you can. Your body will follow your mind."
/Kelly Wells/
"Trophies gather dust. Memories last forever."
/Mary Lou Retton/
"Instead of focusing on the obstacle in your path, focus on the bridge that leads over it."
/Mary Lou Retton/
"I can live with failure, but I can't stand not trying."
/Sanja Richards-Ross/
"Winning doesn't always mean finishing first... The real victory is getting to the finish line with no regrets because you know you've given it your all."
/Apolo Anton Ono/
"The hardest days are the best days, because that's where champions are made."
/Gaby Douglas/
"I'd rather regret the risks that didn't pay off than the opportunities I didn't take at all."
/Simone Bayles/
"Anyone who is not brave enough to take risks will achieve nothing in life."
/Muhammad Ali/
"You have to expect great things from yourself before you can do them."
/Michael Jordan/
"You have to train your mind as much as your body."
/Venus Williams/
"I was 12 when I started and 34 when I achieved my dream. That should give people hope."
/Kelly Holmes/
"Every champion was once an amateur who didn't give up."
/Gaby Douglas/
"I don't run away from challenges just because I'm afraid. Instead, I run towards them because the only way to escape fear is to trample it underfoot."
/Nadja Komeneci/
"Never put an age limit on your dreams."
/Dara Torres/
"I have failed again and again in my life. And that's why I succeeded."
/Michael Jordan/
"You know what my favourite part of the game is? Being able to play."
/Michael Singletary/
"Hard work crushes talent when talent doesn't work hard."
/Tim Notke/
"Without self-discipline, success is impossible. Period."
/Louis Holtz/
"Never give up! Turning down and giving up is only the first step on the road to success."
/James Valvano/
"If you're not prepared to go all the way, why go at all?"
/Joe Namath/
"I never worry about the problem. I worry about the solution."
/Shakil O'Neill/
"Today I will do what others do not so that tomorrow I can achieve what others cannot."
/Jerry Rice/
"What to do with a mistake: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it."
/Dean Smith/
"You can't accomplish much in life if you only work on the days you feel good."
/Jerry West/
"Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-made. Be grateful. Vanity is self-given. Be careful."
/John Wooden/
"Some people say I have character - and maybe I do... but I think you have to have it. You have to believe in yourself when nobody else does - that's what makes you a winner."
/Venus Williams/
"Competitive sport is mostly played on a five-and-a-half-inch field that sits between your ears."
/Bobby Jones/
"The best motivation always comes from within."
/Michael Jones/
"Experience is a harsh teacher because it will first give you a test, and only then a lesson."
/Vernon Lowe/
Have a successful and inspiring training!
