Sport has never been shy of controversy and the Olympic Games is no exception to this. The media have been widely covering the Olympic torch protests over China’s perceived abuses of human rights in Tibet in recent weeks. The protests have had an impact all over the world with every newspaper having a say.
But is the coverage helping to wake China up to international feeling and encouraging them to address the problems in Tibet or harming the athletes that will be competing in Beijing?
This question was asked by a Texan news website - http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=50684 - which found that the athletes undoubtedly suffer the effects of a negative image for the Olympics.
As the article states: “It’s like refusing to go to an art show because the gallery owner partakes in some shady deals with business partners. Sure, the owner will be short the money he put in for the show, but the artists are the ones who are truly affected.”
Of course, people will rightly argument that these issues cannot just be swept under the carpet, but the line needs to be drawn somewhere. There is a danger that if the media becomes too concentrated on the issue of Tibet then the great spectacle of the games will be damaged irreparably.
A recent article in the Miami Herald has said that the Olympics should not be boycotted because although they are being held in China they belong to the international community. Therefore, to make China the centre of everything to do with the games would be wrong.
This is a good point and should encourage sponsors – who are reportedly under pressure to pull their financial backing - and fans alike that the Olympics are ultimately a great sporting event. Although they can act as a highlighter for political misdemeanors, they should ultimately be an arena for the thousands of athletes to show off their skill and endurance.
Let’s hope that when the opening ceremony begins on August 8 that the sport pages and fans will be talking about the prospects of a great Olympics and can leave the politics to the politicians.
