Olympics, Games and World

Oylmpics, Games and World

Oylmpics: Who Took the Gold?

Where are we heading towards when it comes to staging Bigger, larger than life events like Olympics?  What is our moral responsibility when we stage such events, which will have an everlasting impact on world?  Who wins at the end of Olympics? Who is the ultimate sufferer?

With Beijing Olympics 2008 considered being the biggest in the history of Olympics, whether we consider its iconic stadiums creating a mark in every field from architecture to technology.  On 08/08/08 People’s Republic of China created history and shattered all the records when the host country opened its doors to welcome Olympics with mindboggling performances and never seen before technology on opening ceremony.   Amidst of all the controversies, related to Tibet, Human Rights and pollution, China successfully managed to host the summer Olympics 2008, scoring a gold. 

On 12 MAY 2008, Earthquake of magnitude 7.9-ake struck 57 miles north-west of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province China, leaving 300,000 of people dead and many of them left homeless.   Over 40 billions of dollars have been spent on the Olympics so far this year, when the population of  china is 1 billion leaves us 40 dollars per person.  When an average Chinese person strives on one dollar a day for his living, we question if this much of spending on Olympics is justified?  Around the world, Earthquakes of such magnitude hit every year, claiming thousands of lives and leaving people homeless, without food and shelter.   Is it in the very interest of government and corporations to undertake massive rehabilitation programmes?

In an online news website, it featured that Chinese officials have filled emply seats with volunteers to make events house full, during games and events which had few viewership.  In the opening ceremony there were volunteers who packed the stadium to make the moment more fabulous.  Why did China spent so much on Mega stadiums when they expected few people to attend the ceremony and events?.  A fraction of that spending could have helped homeless people find lost peace, or improve their condition of life.   Human rights and pollution in china have broke all the records, and it’s not worth a medal.  People still don’t have permission to stage a protest and hold demonstrations.   China may have claimed 51 gold medals in the Summer Olympics but it will take years for china to score a point as far as human rights are concerned.  The people displaced due to earthquake, still have to strike a gold in their life to make a living.  China has contributed significant amount of Co₂ emissions after it started construction of stadiums and auditoriums.   If we really care for environment then we should spend responsibly on constructing such mammoth structures.  If we believe in equal opportunity then we should allow different developing countries to host Olympics.

Games

Doping

“I want to be Michael Phelps“, could be the statement of millions of young athletes seeking gold at the Olympics 2012 to be held in London.  In a survey, about 61% of people who consume drugs are influenced by star athletes.

Its takes one’s hard work and a diligent effort on a regular basis to have a physique like Michael Phelps, USA who took 8 gold medals in swimming, beating Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold.  Not only physique, which is frequently neglected by athletes who resort to performance enhancing drugs,   but also it requires world class dedicated trainers and cutting edge technology to have that hundredth of a second advantage to the competitor.  It couldn’t have been a better example of the 100m butterfly event in swimming where Michael Phelps won by hundredths of a second to Serbian Milorad Cavic.

Balance beam

Drug in sports is a pressuring issue confronting world today.   National Pride can turn into Shame when athletes are tested positive of banned substance.  It keeps fair athletes at disadvantage and make them feel biased when stimulant break world records.

There are always new drugs or chemical substance which are consumed by clever athletes and supported by coaches.  Also athletes are trained on how to cheat the doping tests.  These substances need to be banned in order to provide a fair ground for everyone to compete.  In order to track these malpractices, Officials need to constantly revise testing procedures and play their roles at par to CIA.   It’s a never ending game of cheats, hence officials will have to remain one step ahead to strike a balance. This youtube videos showcases how future super dope athletes will be.

For Sporting entities, its an issue of credibility, authenticity, competiveness, pride and last but not the least maintain revenues.  When it comes to health, athletes have gone to an extent, leading to death and major side effects, sports federation should have had adopted a zero tolerance policy.

Over time

What role do media play in the overall scenario?  Perhaps plays the biggest.  Directly or indirectly media can be considered of being responsible for most of the young aspirants to resort to drugs.  How?

Media does not explicitly motivates an individual to consume banned drugs.  With each record broken, media slashes headlines again and again, and glorifies that moment exaggeratedly.  Overtime these leaves an image in the minds of people, images of high expectation and high national pride.  These images take center stage in the minds of athletes while they take part in events.   Due to media attention Business associated with sports have started paying off high salaries and endorsements to Star athletes.  Finally when confronted with physical limits, our young athletes are motivated to take drugs.  After all we need to educate athletes that records can’t be broken overnight but over a period of time devoted hard work.

World

What Is World?

Beliefs and Values

First, of all I would like to make it clear by what Do I mean by “world” when I discuss these topics in a big context.  Though I would not be able to do justice to the title, but still I try my best this time.

When I say world I say people, people who are highly influenced by news, sports, entertainment, business, politics, society and self.  The world is represented by different types of people, with people comes their beliefs, their religion, their values, families, their social framework.  World consists of monuments, buildings, oceans, land and atmosphere.  Our world is not isolated from Ageing, it has an interesting history, dynamic present and Unpredictable future.

We have seen world through different eyes, while we were young we saw it through our mother.  When we grew older, we understand things as per our beliefs and notions, friends, teachers, books, world started changing in our minds.  Later on television, internet, radio, and satellite changed the whole world and its beliefs, and we were no exception.

From childhood to youth, to our present, we have believed everything to be true as we see and hear them.   And as we grew older, we laugh at our past beliefs seriously.  We laugh at our mother’s threat of being caught by serious eight feet monster when young.  We laugh on those silly mistakes.  Finally when we are old life laughs at us.

Happiness depends on ourselves -aristotle

Regulation

Finally, What I wanted to say is Everything what we believe is not wholly true at any point of time.  Everything is not truly authentic and substantive.   We are living in a world which is governed and regulated.  Modern world is regulated.  Whatever we do is governed and regulated by so called “white collar officials and organizations” around the world.  And whatever we suffer is solely due to our beliefs, faiths, emotions, values and self pride.

Multibillion corporations, media conglomerates, financial entities, insurance corporations, retials corporations and oil corporations, have tremendous hand in policy making of national governments rather than common people.  Agricultural land is owned by fewer and fewer people.  These corporations can control anything(club visual effects with live event, fill empty seats with volunteers, buy votes to get tat last bid to host the games, play with human emotions) when it comes to making money.  Only thing they cant do is how to solve world problems.   They cannot alleviate world hunger problem.  They cannot work in tandem to resolve civil war.

These corporations have full control over media, telecommunications, and legal rights.  Olympics have proved that now live events too will be manipulated over media.  Events will be made jam packed with audiences, in order to increase the rating of the show.  These volunteers were not paid whereas corporate giants made millions of dollars on prime time.  After the show is over, no one really cares.  To what extent these organizations and top officials can go to host the event, to generate revenues, to generate viewership and to build national pride and honor.

Wrap Up

Who is the ultimate king when it comes to Olympics and Games?  Who makes the money? Who wins at the end of the game? Who is morally responsible for all the world problems?     

Olympics is a on the center stage of world, for few days for every political leader to showcase his/her political power.  It’s the most profitable timeslot for media conglomerates available every four year.  It is the most sought after event in the world.  In games undoubtedly I would consider each and every athlete to be a king who participated with whole heartedly and fought their battles of lifetime.  Undoubtedly, Every business associated with the Olympics has made mode beyond their calculations.

When it comes to world problems everyone is turning their back.  World problems is not confined to hunger, pollution, illiteracy, aids, famine, floods, earthquake and global warming to name a few.  But world problem also consists in “our thinking”.  Hence we all are equally responsible for world problem.

At the end of game, we need extra time!!!!

I ask myself when these issues popup my head “What I have done?”