The mother of all games, the Olympics, is the arena where the athletes compete with their sweat, blood and guts, to reach that pinnacle of glory that is the crowning moment of any sportsperson’s career. However, unfortunately the Olympics are the most blatant example of nationalism in sport. I doubt that the motto “Altius, Citius, Fortius” is realized in the true spirit of the Games.
The burden of the whole country’s expectations on the shoulders of an athlete will add pressure and in turn lead to an under par performance. The best instance which shows that nationalism must have no place in sport was the boycott of the Moscow games by the U.S. and the counter boycott of the Los Angeles games by the Russians.
If the spirit of the Games was important then why this did happen? Had the Olympics become the ground for the superpowers to settle their differences during the Cold War era?
This unwanted feeling of nationalism has reared its ugly head in other forms of sport too. It is the reason why nowadays big bucks have become involved in sport. All of us love to watch an India-Pakistan cricket match.
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A chance to host it is most sought after. The match is a showcase of the talent of some of the present cricketing geniuses in the world. The vibrant intensity during the match sends pulses racing, hearts thumping. Nevertheless, the main reason for making this match happen is the incredible overwhelming sums earned as revenue from TV rights, sponsors, etc.
The people of these two neighbors feel it is their prerogative to watch the match often at the expense of office hours, school timings so that they can root for their country. The result usually leads to “traditional rivalries” between the teams and old wounds to open up between the nations. This misplaced patriotic fervor spoils the grace of the game and confirms that nationalism is a wasteful effort in sport.
However, this attitude is more pronounced in team sports, even games like tennis have been affected by it. Tennis is a sport where usually all the spectators appreciate the individual skill and talent of the player. The support that the Brazilian Gustavo Kurten gets during the French Open is evident.
However, when a certain Tim Henman plays in the Wimbledon, the opponent or the game hardly matters. The British public only wants the “Henmanator” to win. Maybe that is why he has never made it past the semifinals there!
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Moving to life on the fast lane, F-l sport has been one that thrills the viewer by the sheer risks that the drivers take and those impossible speeds that are attained by those zooming machines. The teams, consisting of two drivers, aim to win not for their “country” but for themselves and their manufacturer.
However, what purpose does the playing of the national anthem at the winners’ podium serve? To assert the nationality of the winner? Schumacher who, of late, has become a regular fixture at the top has caused a rather popular misconception that the German and the Italian anthems is the F-l theme anthem! Where is this leading?
Another instance is the brouhaha that was caused during the Tour de France when a German rider chased another German, albeit of a different team, causing the latter to lose some time. This left many German fans disgruntled. Obviously, the national identity mattered here. Apparently, the natural instinct of a rider to further his own prospects in the race was something the fans did not consider important!