Confluence, overlap in sports, politics
I read with fascination, surprise and amusement, the headline in The STAR’s Sports Page A-23 of the Saturday, Feb. 23 issue that stated, “Politics, sports don’t mix, says IOC head.” The headline was in reference to an interview on Thursday in
Rogge was quoted to have said that the “IOC is a catalyst for change in
Rogge’s remarks were apparently in response to the comments of
In backing out of the games, Spielberg said, ”I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue business as usual. At this point, my time and energy must be spent not on Olympic ceremonies but on doing all I can to help bring an end to unspeakable crimes against humanity that continue to be committed in Darfur. Joining the chorus of voices protesting
American actress Mia Farrow expressed support for her countryman Spielberg by saying, “Let us hope that Mr. Spielberg’s decisive action will influence other participants, sponsors and supporters of the Olympic Games to speak out. This is the time to increase pressure on
In this day and age, I think that it is almost impossible to avoid the overlap (some people call it confluence) between sport and politics, especially when the summer and winter Olympic Games are involved. To host the Olympics is to invite attention to oneself and open oneself to a cold and clinical look by the world under a microscope.
By hosting the Olympics, the Chinese opened themselves to such scrutiny. To be sure, the Chinese have many motives in hosting the Games. One is economic. When
The other motive is political. It is said that in its most basic form, politics consists of social relations involving authority or power. The Free Dictionary says that in a broader sense, any situation involving power, or any maneuvering in order to enhance one’s power or status within a group may be described as politics (e.g. office politics).
Chella Rajan in “Global Politics and Institutions” says “this form of politics is most associated with a struggle for ascendancy among groups having different priorities and power relations. Politics is therefore present in all forms of human activities whether corporate, academic or religious.
By hosting the Games,
The Olympics therefore is an integral part of its sports foreign policy and an instrument to advance its interest in the international community. That is why even if its spokesman says that “
As Olympics host, from which
Let’s face it. There is indeed, at the very least, a confluence of and overlap between sports and politics. The sooner we admit it, the better we can determine how to use both synergistically and constructively to improve the condition of mankind, which was, after all, the goal of Baron Pierre Coubertin when he founded the modern Olympics.
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