Friday, May 2, 2008

11:35 PM

Do you think modern Olympics has lost its purpose?

To a large extent, I think that modern Olympics has lost its purpose. The original idea of the Olympics games were in the belief that sports is an integral part of education, “a sound mind in a healthy body”. As quoted from the article, “The most important thing in the Olympics is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

From my perception, some of the athletes, in the pursuit of glory and honour for their country, forget this important idea. Their obsession with winning has led to doping, or the administration of performance enhancing drugs. It truly defiles the spirit of Olympics; not only were the drugs harmful to health, but it was unethical to win not through one’s own ability. To these athletes, their desire to win has overcome their moral values. “Grace in losing” is something else that the athletes fail to possess.

In the heat of the competition, some athletes are also overcome by emotion and act aggressively towards their opponents, resulting in injuries and fights that in turn harms not only their own country’s reputation but also that of the sport.

Of course, this is not to say that all athletes are unethical. Some of them certainly do possess sportsmanship and integrity when taking part in the games, but the increasing number of athletes who are suspended for doping shows that honesty is a fast disappearing moral value.

Another purpose for the creation of the Olympic Games was to foster friendship among nations. However, it is evident that the games have led to hostility between countries, or further emphasized existing unhappiness amongst countries. Evidence of this can be seen through the many boycotts that have plagued the games since its revival. With the coming Olympic games held in Beijing, China, we can see that the coverage given to the games is a perfect opportunity for other countries to stage political protests. More significantly, many countries use the boycott of Olympics to “blackmail” China. An instance is that of French president Sarkozy, who suggested the boycott of the Beijing Olympics last month, in order to increase pressure on China over the “Free Tibet” issue, where they claim the Chinese authorities have not exercised restraint in dealing with the Tibetan independence movement.

Additionally, the 2008 Olympic torch relay, with the theme “Journey of Harmony”, is a stark contrast to protests held in many cities along the route. The issue in question is again because of politics, particularly those related to China’s less than spectacular human rights record, and of the recent unrest in Tibet. Ironically, instead of harmony in the 6 continents the torch relay was held, relay runners were met with hostility and violence.

Nowadays, the Olympic Games has begun to be less of a way for athletes to showcase their sports abilities and to cultivate goodwill among countries, and more of a stage where political dramas are acted out.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3620417.ece

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Olympic_Torch_Relay

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