Political sports

The Paris Olympics 2024 began as gentle rain fell over the venue. This was beyond the control of organizers and did nothing to spoil the opening ceremony. What does raise questions about the Olympics is the question of allowing politics directly into the event. The founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin, had stated in 1896 that the Games should transcend political conflicts and be inclusive of all participants, with no person barred from entry.

But precisely this has happened. It is of course not the first time we have seen politics intrude into the Olympics. But the continuation of the pattern is disturbing. This time, Russia and Belarus were barred from the games for having invaded Ukraine. The invasion of Ukraine cannot be condoned. But it must also be looked at through the lens of Nato’s role in Europe and the obvious threat felt by Russia because of this.

These however are irrelevant matters. What is of concern is the exclusion of these nations and the rule that their athletes could enter only as individuals, walking under the Olympic flag. A handful of athletes from what should have been a huge contingent from Russia and a slightly smaller delegation from Belarus have done so.

However, not many can afford the expense and possible fallout at home from participating individually. Making them do so is a travesty, especially given the fact the career span of an Olympic-level athlete is so limited. Even North Korea is represented at these Olympics while Taiwan, which has powerful contestants in some sports, notably martial arts, has since 1984 agreed to compete as Chinese Taipei and carry a flag that is different from the one it uses.

China itself, now one of the most powerful sporting contingents at the Games and arguably the main rival to the US, has only been part of the Olympics since 1980. Before that, it refused to contest essentially over the issue of Chinese Taipei and the question of whether or not the country was recognized. The inclusion of the huge Chinese delegation is of course welcome.

Then we have the question of the Subcontinent. Pakistan has sent only seven athletes to the games from a population of at least 240 million people. Eleven officials accompanied this small group which is not expected to win medals – with the main hope Arshad Nadeem. Pakistan has in fact not won an Olympic medal since 1992 when its field hockey team claimed a bronze. Indeed, throughout its history, Pakistan has won only 10 Olympic medals, all but two of them in field hockey. This time, the hockey team has failed to qualify.

The decline in the ability to produce sportsmen and women is disturbing. Sports are important in so many ways, uniting nations, giving countries identity, and encouraging young people to live better lives. Even India, given its population of 1.4 billion, is falling far behind the rest of the world. It has in recent years put in some effort to put together an improved sporting programme but only time will tell if this is to any degree successful. Some medals will however go India’s way, and the country’s name will at least appear on the medal table even if far lower down the list than should be the case given its population and the huge number of youth included in it.

The reality is that the major travesty that we see in 2024 is the fact that Israel walks behind its flag at the Games. While Russia or Belarus have committed crimes while at war, Israel is guilty of a horrendous genocide. The reasons for allowing Israel in and giving the athletes a huge security cover are entirely political and based essentially on the support for Israel by the US and other Western nations. Reality then does not matter. The bodies of small children, women and men, which still lie under rubble in Gaza mean nothing. Israel can walk tall and stride into the stadium; other nations cannot. Something somewhere is quite clearly amiss.

Essentially, sports should be separate from politics. Questions otherwise become too murky and complicated. Every sportsperson from around the world must be allowed to compete. Bans are not fair – unless of course they are intended to punish mass murder or acts of extreme hatred such as apartheid. The apartheid policies of South Africa in the past led to a temporary ban on the nation. In contrast, Israel faces no penalties. The world will one day need to answer.

As we watch the Games and applaud those who reach that prestigious medal stand, we must also question the issue of global politics and how they affect sports. Not all is fair. The essential dream of the modern Olympics has been essentially shattered and this shows the realities of a world where nothing is just and so many lies and dishonesties underscore the policies that we see unfold on the world stage. We see them too at the Olympics and in the various arenas where 32 sports will take place at the Summer Games.

The writer is a freelance columnist and former newspaper editor. She can be reached at: kamilahyat@hotmail.com