“The most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” Baron Pierre De Coubertin, a French idealist and historian, father of the modern-day Olympic Games once said.
It means it is not victory that matters the most, but it is how ones put their best efforts to the Games. Taking It means it is not victory that matters the most, but it is how ones put their best efforts to the Games. Taking part in the games itself is greater than the prize, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. Although only one may wear the laurel wreath, all my share in the equal joy of the contest despite age, race, or religion. It is the sacred creed of the modern Olympic Games, the spirit of it. So, when players taking part in that most celebrated sports competition of the era are intentionally trying to lose, it is considered an infringement to the spirit of the Games. Eight women badminton players have been thrown out of the Olympics in disgrace last week for taking extraordinary lengths to avoid winning. Four pairs – two from South Korea and one each from China and Indonesia – were immediately disqualified as punishment. Each of the four doubles teams was trying to exploit the round-robin format introduced at the London Games to get easier opposition in the next round or avoid playing their teammates when the knockout stages start. Such deliberation to lose, despite all the defenses made in the name of a practiced strategy to win the game in the end, was deemed a breach of the primal ideals of sport Olympic ideals of fair play and sportsmanship. It was a scandal that created a fiasco.
Even though such tactic of purposely losing to secure more desirable matchups later in the competition is often practiced in the Olympic Games, it seems wrong when spectators booed and hissed with disgruntlements. That’s what happen when the thrown off badminton athletes playing so abjectly, deliberately thwacking shuttlecocks out of play or into the net. "Off, off, off," booed the audience, feeling furious with the dismayed games. They had devoted their time and paid money to come see a good match, expecting to watch the players put their best efforts to win. Yet, in the arena the players worked not to win but to engineer losses in their last group matches. It was a competitive tactic that stirred mayhem in the audience which in turn forced the officials to take matters into their hand. If only their strategy was executed elegantly, if only they could act to lose ‘naturally’, perhaps such unnecessary incident could be avoided. Perhaps better, the umpires and officials might not take matters into their hands by sending them packing. It was probably the very crystal clear picture of trying to lose without efforts, for the whole world to see, that invited such fiasco. It wasa the outcries of the audience that compelled the expel. “They are just not good at acting normally. They fail to play a little bit more." Then, the verdict was blatantly imposed “they are guilty of trying to lose to win.”
In terms of Olympic Games primal ideals of fair play and sportsmanship, such strategy is certainly against the creed. The spectators do not come to see a lousy game in which players play pretentious game. They want a worth-watch match, players showing respect and determination. Yet, in reality, pressure from sponsors, countries, coaches and athletes themselves to win for medals and trophies, often corrupts such ideals. Winning the medal means everything. Playing to win at all costs, which includes playing to the limits of the rules, has been engrained in the modern sports, as in life. It always exists. It's when reality disgarees with the ideals, people will start to look for a weakness, a flaw in the system or rules. They will bend the rules to their advantage. Thus, they won't use their best effort at the beginning of the game; they rather save energy and sprint at the end of the game. It is a common strategy widely accepted sometimes. Thus, those who follow such tactic are always getting away with it so long there's no outraging complaints whatsoever. They try to win by deliberately trying to lose. It’s part of their strategy to secure a medal.
Then, when the eighth women badminton players were reprimanded for similar action, it was also seem not right. It was a scandalous shock and many were still trying to look for those responsible to blame, the athletes, the coach, the officials, the system, and so forth. It became a public debacle. If the badminton players have got in trouble for their strategy of try to place themselves to their best advantage, then all the cyclists, runners, footballers, and any other athletes who practiced such strategy should also get the same treatment when they hold back and try and compete at anything other than "flat out". It is not fair that these poor athletes who have worked their whole lives to excel at something they love have been humiliated for doing little more than trying to win while others could get away with it.
In the end, it is necessary for those responsible for the biggest tournament in that sports world, to revive the ideal of the Olympic Games. All participating in the event should rekindle the Olympic spirit. It’s the way ones take part part in the Games that counts. A poorly executed tournament system that is responsible to provoke disgraceful actions or strategies should be reevaluated. They should restructure the format to remove the incentive for players or teams to do so. When the reality disgrees with the ideals, it is almost certain such fiasco will keep turning on and on.
It means it is not victory that matters the most, but it is how ones put their best efforts to the Games. Taking It means it is not victory that matters the most, but it is how ones put their best efforts to the Games. Taking part in the games itself is greater than the prize, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. Although only one may wear the laurel wreath, all my share in the equal joy of the contest despite age, race, or religion. It is the sacred creed of the modern Olympic Games, the spirit of it. So, when players taking part in that most celebrated sports competition of the era are intentionally trying to lose, it is considered an infringement to the spirit of the Games. Eight women badminton players have been thrown out of the Olympics in disgrace last week for taking extraordinary lengths to avoid winning. Four pairs – two from South Korea and one each from China and Indonesia – were immediately disqualified as punishment. Each of the four doubles teams was trying to exploit the round-robin format introduced at the London Games to get easier opposition in the next round or avoid playing their teammates when the knockout stages start. Such deliberation to lose, despite all the defenses made in the name of a practiced strategy to win the game in the end, was deemed a breach of the primal ideals of sport Olympic ideals of fair play and sportsmanship. It was a scandal that created a fiasco.
Even though such tactic of purposely losing to secure more desirable matchups later in the competition is often practiced in the Olympic Games, it seems wrong when spectators booed and hissed with disgruntlements. That’s what happen when the thrown off badminton athletes playing so abjectly, deliberately thwacking shuttlecocks out of play or into the net. "Off, off, off," booed the audience, feeling furious with the dismayed games. They had devoted their time and paid money to come see a good match, expecting to watch the players put their best efforts to win. Yet, in the arena the players worked not to win but to engineer losses in their last group matches. It was a competitive tactic that stirred mayhem in the audience which in turn forced the officials to take matters into their hand. If only their strategy was executed elegantly, if only they could act to lose ‘naturally’, perhaps such unnecessary incident could be avoided. Perhaps better, the umpires and officials might not take matters into their hands by sending them packing. It was probably the very crystal clear picture of trying to lose without efforts, for the whole world to see, that invited such fiasco. It wasa the outcries of the audience that compelled the expel. “They are just not good at acting normally. They fail to play a little bit more." Then, the verdict was blatantly imposed “they are guilty of trying to lose to win.”
In terms of Olympic Games primal ideals of fair play and sportsmanship, such strategy is certainly against the creed. The spectators do not come to see a lousy game in which players play pretentious game. They want a worth-watch match, players showing respect and determination. Yet, in reality, pressure from sponsors, countries, coaches and athletes themselves to win for medals and trophies, often corrupts such ideals. Winning the medal means everything. Playing to win at all costs, which includes playing to the limits of the rules, has been engrained in the modern sports, as in life. It always exists. It's when reality disgarees with the ideals, people will start to look for a weakness, a flaw in the system or rules. They will bend the rules to their advantage. Thus, they won't use their best effort at the beginning of the game; they rather save energy and sprint at the end of the game. It is a common strategy widely accepted sometimes. Thus, those who follow such tactic are always getting away with it so long there's no outraging complaints whatsoever. They try to win by deliberately trying to lose. It’s part of their strategy to secure a medal.
Then, when the eighth women badminton players were reprimanded for similar action, it was also seem not right. It was a scandalous shock and many were still trying to look for those responsible to blame, the athletes, the coach, the officials, the system, and so forth. It became a public debacle. If the badminton players have got in trouble for their strategy of try to place themselves to their best advantage, then all the cyclists, runners, footballers, and any other athletes who practiced such strategy should also get the same treatment when they hold back and try and compete at anything other than "flat out". It is not fair that these poor athletes who have worked their whole lives to excel at something they love have been humiliated for doing little more than trying to win while others could get away with it.
In the end, it is necessary for those responsible for the biggest tournament in that sports world, to revive the ideal of the Olympic Games. All participating in the event should rekindle the Olympic spirit. It’s the way ones take part part in the Games that counts. A poorly executed tournament system that is responsible to provoke disgraceful actions or strategies should be reevaluated. They should restructure the format to remove the incentive for players or teams to do so. When the reality disgrees with the ideals, it is almost certain such fiasco will keep turning on and on.
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