Describe a sportsperson/ athlete that you admire: IELTS test Cue Card

Bhargavee Sisodia

24 Jun 2024

Describe a sportsperson/ athlete that you admire:  IELTS test Cue Card

You would do considerably better on the IELTS speaking test of the IELTS exam if you have a strong command of the English language. The two portions of the IELTS speaking exam are the Cue Card section and the Follow-Up Questions section. You should be prepared not only for the frequently asked IELTS speaking topics in the Cue Card phase, but also for any follow-up questions that may be hurled at you in the next segment of the IELTS speaking test or follow-up questions component.

The IELTS speaking exam consists of two timed segments. You will be given one of the IELTS speaking topics during the Cue Card segment, and you have three minutes to speak on it. You have one minute to consider and prepare your response throughout those three minutes, and the remaining two are to actually provide the answer. You must get comfortable responding to IELTS speaking questions in the exact way that the test is administered if you want to do well in this part.  

To help you with your IELTS preparation, we have prepared a solution to a commonly asked IELTS exam sample question: "Describe a sportsperson/ athlete that you admire". 

This blog can be used as study material for the speaking section of the IELTS practice test since it will teach you how to properly prepare your answers for the speaking questions. Your speeches may touch on your opinions, current affairs, personal experiences, or any other seemingly unrelated topic and the more you emphasize this during your IELTS exam preparation, the more confident your answer will be.

The only way to ensure that you are ready for every question that is thrown at you during your IELTS speaking test is to practice taking the test continuously with different IELTS speaking topics. You must give your honest opinion on a sports person whom you admire for the topic "Describe a sportsperson/ athlete that you admire." Let's examine the various responses to the speaking questions above. 

IELTS speaking question sample topic : Describe a sportsperson/ athlete that you admire

Let's first divide the question into smaller sections and see what points can be covered while answering the topic “Describe a sportsperson/ athlete that you admire.”

• Introduce the sportsperson/ athlete: In this section, give a brief introduction of the person.
• What sports he/she is associated with: Describe the sports he or she plays. You can also mention whether you like the sports or not.
• When did you first hear about the person: Transition to this section from the point of talking about the sports. You can mention when you first watched them play or whether someone told you about the person who made you watch their game.
• What do you admire about the person: Talk about their achievements or personal traits. Be honest and give genuine points about why you like them. Remember, it is always easier to frame an answer when you are speaking your mind and not making anything up forcefully.
• Conclude the answer: Summarize the entire answer and ensure to end it on a good note that strikes the examiner.

Now let's take a look at the IELTS sample test answers.

IELTS exam sample Answer 1: Describe a sportsperson/ athlete that you admire

Introduce the sportsperson/ athlete:

Not only among sportspersons but also in general as a human, Virat Kohli is my favorite. I have always admired and looked up to him not only for the way he plays but his opinions, views, and lifestyle, which are well-reflected in all his interviews.

What sports he/she is associated with:

He is one of the greatest cricketers in the world and captained the Indian Men's Cricket team for One Day International, Test, and T-20 matches. He is the reason I started playing cricket.

When did you first hear about the person:

I had first watched him play in the first season of the Indian Premier League. I am an ardent follower of IPL and support the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and he was selected by the franchise. Then, I eventually watched him play for India in one of the One Day International matches.

What do you admire about the person:

What I like the most about Virat Kohli is his dedication to the game and to making himself better. I have heard him speak about how he prioritized fitness and decided to lose weight. More than losing weight, he emphasized the fact that if an extra hour of training can help cover a certain distance by 1 second less, he is willing to do that. This shows his dedication and willingness to push himself to be a better version of himself. Also, being such a successful sportsperson, he has also had his share of low times, and the way he never gave up and kept going, while ultimately rising back again, taught me to keep my chin up during difficult phases.

Conclude the answer:

I look up to him and try to remember his words from interviews and post-match presentations while incorporating them into my life. He will always be someone who will influence me in the best possible way and my admiration for him will only increase.

IELTS exam sample Answer 2: Describe a sportsperson/ athlete that you admire

Introduce the sportsperson/ athlete:

One of the sportspersons that I absolutely love and admire is Sania Mirza. She is the epitome of spirit and success and the way she has conducted her professional career is an absolute inspiration.

What sports he/she is associated with:

She is an Indian Tennis Player and I grew up watching tennis as my father is also a tennis player.

When did you first hear about the person:

I remember the first time I watched her play was in the 2009 Australian Open when she won her first Grand Slam in the mixed doubles category. I was amazed by the way she played and then slowly started watching all her games. I also searched her interviews on the internet to know her as a person since I found her to be extremely empowering.

What do you admire about the person:

Sports is mostly a male-dominated field and in all honesty, only cricketers become household names. In such a scenario, she emerged as one of the most successful female sportspersons that India had and in a sport that is not as celebrated as cricket. Especially two decades before, when she had started playing, she really had to float opposite the stream to learn to play, make a career out of it, and sculpt her name in golden words in the list of successful Indian sports stars. She has had multiple injuries in her career, but her never-say-die attitude has ensured her comeback and rise just like a phoenix. Her willpower, dedication, and strength to carve her own path in the middle of adversity, give me motivation and will to do better in life.

Conclude the answer:

Sania Mirza is someone I will respect as a sportsperson and will be grateful that she has become a live idol to millions of girls in our country who want to play sports or build a career in the domain, but fail to do so because of certain pre-approved socially acceptable standards.

IELTS test next step: Follow up questions

The IELTS test follow-up questions portion comes after the IELTS Cue Card section in the speaking test. Based on the response you provided in the IELTS speaking test during the Cue Card part, you will be given a few more questions. Your IELTS speaking topic will also be the subject of the follow-up questions; the only difference is that there won't be any time allotted for preparation.

You must pay close attention to the question and respond to it right away. You must possess excellent conversational skills, quick thinking, confidence, and a remarkable personality to succeed in this part. On the topic "Describe a sportsperson/ athlete that you admire," here are a few queries. The following are a few variations of likely answers to some of the follow-up questions on the speaking topic. 

Question 1: Have you ever attended any live match of your favorite sportsperson?

Answer for sample answer 1: Yes. The first time I watched him live was during the 2011 World Cup Finals at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. My uncle lives in Mumbai and we had planned well in advance to visit Mumbai and watch the match live. We didn't know whether India would qualify for the finals or not but anyway decided to watch the match. To our luck, India not only qualified for the finals but won the World Cup and it was the cherry on the cake for me because I could see Virat Kohli play live.

Answer for sample answer 2: Unfortunately no. My hometown never hosts a tennis match and thus, I couldn't get the opportunity to play her live. However, it is my dream to meet her once and take her autograph in my personal notebook.

Question 2: Do you think the lack of fame and money in sports other than a few celebrated sports like cricket and tennis is a reason why youth don't want a career in this field?

Answer: Yes, and also to add up to this, the lack of infrastructure is also a primary reason. Other than cricket, tennis, badminton, and a few other sports, there are hardly any training centers, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The lack of exposure along with the uncertainty of the career, less fame, and monetary success adds up to the reason why youth rarely indulge in other sports.

Question 3: Given an opportunity, which sports would you like to play professionally?

Answer for sample answer 1: Although as a kid, I have watched and played all kinds of sports starting from cricket, football, basketball, hockey, and handball, my favorite has been cricket. Thus, if given an option, I would definitely try my hands on playing cricket professionally.

Answer for sample answer 2: Without a doubt tennis. I have seen my father play for our local tennis club and for his office team and thus tennis has become a part of my core memory. I enjoy playing and watching tennis and if at all I had to choose to build a career in sports, I would try to ace tennis.

Conclusion

Our professional IELTS preparation program at D-VIVID offers one-on-one mentoring and in-depth coaching for your IELTS speaking test. You will have a thorough understanding of the type of questions you might anticipate on your IELTS test by using our IELTS speaking topics and answers resources.

All of the assistance you need to master this IELTS speaking test would come from our staff of extremely knowledgeable and skilled tutors. We can assist you in honing all of the exam-related skills you need, from the strategies of the English speaking test to specific IELTS speaking questions. You may relax knowing that we will take care of all the details while you prepare for your IELTS exam with D-VIVID. So don't delay and get in touch with us immediately!