By Ya Han Hsu
Are you excited about the Olympics? While people are waiting for the games to begin, there are also voices calling out to stop the games. Actually, not only this time’s Olympics are full of dispute, the Olympics are questioned more and more these years of whether we should keep this tradition.
There are also games canceled because of wars, but the Tokyo Olympics is the first time in history to be postponed. After years of work however, a poll showed that only twenty percent of Japanese people want the Olympics to keep going. For the governments, it’s a risky situation. If they cancel the games, all of the hard work and money will go to waste. Also, the opportunity is very extraordinary, it’s perfect for them to elevate their country’s prestige. (At first they also planned to help Japan’s economy, but since the pandemic, there won’t be much to hope for.)
Over the years, the Olympics held by other countries have had disputes also. Some people questioned the amount of pollution countries have made to hold the games. Others are concerned with the political issues that are mixed inside. Another thing is the scandals. For example, in 2016, the Olympics was held in Rio. However, because the cost was too much, teachers aren’t paid in Rio and seventy five thousand people have been forcefully displaced from their homes in Rio de Janeiro. Some people also queried about the I.O.C’s decisions of choosing the cities to hold the Olympics. Some countries have held the Olympics more than two times while no African country has ever held one before. But not many people are concerned about the scandals after the games.
Sports competitions are first meant to improve the athletes skills and provide a place where they can interflow with each other. However, when the Olympics became a world wide festival, behind the excitement problems are growing. We should pay more attention to not just the games but also the dispute behind. Once all people are concerned about those issues, the operations behind sacrificing the weak will have less chance to succeed. Then, we can really enjoy the Olympics.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/17/sports/olympics/tokyo-olympics.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/22/world/americas/rio-olympics.html