I would like to begin with a confession that I am not an athlete. As a matter of fact, the last occasion I attempted running, I had to stop half way to have a rest and I vowed to God that I would never run again, except when in danger.
However, the fact that I am not a sport type does not deny that there is something special about sports. Nevertheless, when watching how much money nations invest to host such international games such as World cup or Olympic Games, I was astonished.
Sincerely speaking, hearing that a country had to spend more than 200 billion dollars to host a tournament, you are going to think that they were making a new planet. At the same time, even in those countries, poor people are unable to buy food to survive and their politicians are smiling in the stadium, waving flags.
I have experienced what life can be like when the fuel prices are beginning to rise, or when the currency is falling in value. I tend to feel that all these international sporting events are somehow a waste, particularly when the organisers claim that it is to keep the country united. Hmmm, togetherness will not fill our bellies because of the rate of poverty in the country.
However I also think that sports do have a way of uniting people more quickly than the political process ever could. We can remember when Nigeria won gold in the 1996 Olympic in Atlanta in the football sport, people who were not even aware of what a goalpost was and a bus stop were screaming that day 'Up Nigeria! Up Nigeria!!”, my mother who is not fond of football at all even leaped for joy and embraced our neighbor as though they were lost sisters.
For a couple of minutes, nobody thought about tribe, religion and who is a leader. We were simply Nigerians who were proud. That is one thing about sporting events organized internationally they forget their troubles at least in the short term, they make you feel you are a part of something bigger than you. You are left with no choice but to feel some joy even though you are just sitting on your small TV with low volume as the athletes wave their flags, marching in with their flags at the Olympics.
Nevertheless, the financial problem cannot be overlooked, some countries get bankrupt in the attempt to host such events. They construct large stadiums which become huge nest of birds. Similar to Brazil, post-2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, there was some dust on some of the beautiful stadiums. In the meantime, there were people complaining about bad schools and hospitals. It is then when I start asking myself whether it was worth it.
Suppose such a money was spent on electricity repair in Nigeria. At this stage, I would not find my blender singing generator songs every night. or suppose it were to be devoted to producing employment opportunities among the youth--then the boys would not be converting every corner of the street into a football ground, and the girls would not be saying I am waiting till I get visa to Canada.
However, international sports are also associated with opportunities, these competitions mean a lot to the life of many athletes, a poor village boy can become a millionaire overnight simply because he is able to run faster than the others. Take Usain Bolt, for example the man literally made it both in fame and financially, he is still cashing out even after retirement.
Then there is the business and tourism aspect. Hotels are full, restaurants become wealthy and even local vendors have fun when the world cup or Olympics are hosted in a particular country. A coconut peddler in Qatar at the 2022 world cup must have earned a lot more than other workers in government that month. So though the events may bring in billions of dollars, at least some of this money will enter the economy.
The pride of hosting should not be forgotten, although our roads will get lost on their way to visit, and will get late to the matches due to the traffic, the excitement would be unmatched. The Nigerians would paint their faces green and white, dealers would develop a new World Cup Ankara and all the musicians would come out with a song they called Naija Go Win. However, when we are serious about it, I believe that there must be some kind of balancing. It is okay to host such events but not to the detriment of your citizens. A nation should also not borrow money or raise taxes in order to impress the world. It should be focused on long term gains.
Construct stadiums which will come in handy in future, prepare the sportsmen who will continue to win even after the competition is over and best of all, be sure that the people the true fans are also enjoying the gain. As to the athletes themselves, I admire them. It is not easy to get up by 5am to train, rain or shine when I am still lying on my bed thinking of what to eat for breakfast. They risk their lives in pursuit of entertainment of millions. Although they may not be the winners, they make us realise the things that human beings can do when they are passionate and determined.
International sporting events are costly and in some cases they are managed badly. However, they are also what bring people together, make them dream, and make them remember that despite the divided world, we could still all cheer together and literally. Perhaps, the issue is not the events, but the way in which the money is managed. Sports would bring happiness and development not the display of prosperity, were only our leaders to use wisely. On my part, I will continue to sit on my small corner watching, taking popcorn, and screaming at the screen as though I am the coach. Since it can be the Olympics, World Cup or even a local football match on the street, sports will always make people laugh, cry, hope and that is not something that money will be able to buy.
Thank you so much for staying this far, hope you had a good read with me, see you again next time 😁.