That is why winning is highly valued by most people, if not everybody. And when you are working in a team — it is always the team that succeeds or fails, that wins or loses.
Okay, its not that bad, but go with me here. It might be difficult to imagine how losing can be as good as winning.
Another reason is that it is being brave. Participating teaches, and learning is very important that is why participating itself is more important than focusing on winning alone. In this competitive society, your active participation not only motivates you to perform with all spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel but also aids you to showcase your talent, innovation and creativity in front of everyone.
But it is just not any kind of acknowledgement. Participation provides us a platform to challenge ourselves. Competing without the promise of victory is being courageous about facing the consequences.
By focusing on the distribution of tokens or praise we miss the point.