I’m glad the talk about an Olympic boycott has died and I hope it stays dead for good.The Olympics are about competition and the dreams of some of the world’s finest young men and women. Politics have to be involved just due to the sheer size of the event but governments must resist the urge to take a front seat.
In 2001, it was politicians who picked Beijing to host the Olympics, despite some serious concerns over China. Now, it’s time to take responsibility for that decision.
An athlete doesn’t and shouldn’t care much about where the Games are. Athletes spend a decade or more working for what proves in most cases to be once in lifetime shot and governments would do better bowing their heads in respect.
I guess the ultimate question is who do you compete for? Your country? Not me. I did it for myself first and probably even second. Then came family, friends and coaches. Country, even in the idealistic sense of the word, wouldn’t make top three.
My country became interested in me only once I started making a name on the international scene. By then, my mother had spent ten years financing my hobby, three high school coaches spent four years dealing with my teenage ego and a university spent $90,000 financing my education. I spent weekends on endless bus rides to competitions and sacrificed countless summer breaks to chase a dream.
I was six when I first declared that I want to become an Olympian. The 1980 Moscow Games were in full swing then and radio broadcast them day and night. I didn’t really know what the Olympics were about but the magic touched me through the airwaves. I even stunned my kindergarten teacher when I said I had to rush home to listen to the Olympic broadcast.
It’s ironic that the Moscow games, my first memory of sports, were boycotted by dozens of nations which then led to another boycott four years later in Los Angeles.
I don’t argue against a boycott because sports are holy and stand above politics. (Although they do.) I argue against it because the ultimate investment in the success of the Olympics was made by thousands of families and not those who claim the right to decide. If you boycott, you don’t ruin China. You ruin the lives of some of your best citizens.
I’m not unhappy with how my country treated me. It did its job perfectly. It supported me while I wore the national jersey and took pride in me when I succeeded. But dozens of people invested much more in me when I was at best an unbroken colt.
I owe most to those who supported me out of loving and caring and governments owe respect to those who wear their uniforms in Beijing.
Let politicians boycott. Let them skip the opening ceremony, let them make a statement and take a stand. But they don’t have the right to destroy dreams.
Balazs Koranyi was an Olympic semi-finalist at the 1996 and 2000 Games for Hungary and since 2004 has been a Budapest-based correspondent, covering mainly political and business news. He will cover the Beijing Games for Reuters.
Picture of a demonstration in Taipei in March by REUTERS/Nicky Loh
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12 comments so far
oh, I think you are absolutely right. I, too, think that there is no right for anyone one to boycott the olympic.China becomes stronger day after day especially its economy, but it still has lots of inner problems such as curruption scandal or human right. though those problems may make others feel annoymous but Olympics still shouldn’t be connected with political problems, it seems not fair to all athletes.
- Posted by Jessica HongKongWell, may you get to enjoy the polluted air and water, tainted food and acid rain and whatever karma that comes with the Beijing Olympics. May you be able to live with your conscience when the Chinese Communist Regime’s heinous crimes against its own people are all exposed one day.
- Posted by Montana BestThe olympics are for the athletes. Once the decision is made by the politicians then the olympics must occur in the awarded site.
You can talk about human rights in China and things should improve but I must say I feel much safer walking down a street in major Chinese cities at night than in north american cities.
Why? The fact is we have ensured the rights of criminals via the criminals’ court in NA and ordinary law abiding people are no longer safe. This is another point regarding human rights.
Do I have the human right to be safe in my land?
Let the Beijing Olympics begin !!!!!
- Posted by buffalojumpI have wrestled with this question also. My solution is to boycott TV coverage of the olympics. It is unfair to deny those who have trained so hard and long a chance, yet I cannot support China and those corporate units who are attempting to gain prestige or money off of this.
- Posted by David EdwardsI don’t support a boycott and I really DO want the Beijing Olympics to be a success.
But the Games are a chance, while the world is watching, to press China for change on its human rights issues. In a few months time, once the Games have been and gone no one much will be interested in these issues, the world won’t be listening.
It’s now or perhaps never … without change China will carry on executing more of its citizens than any other country in the world, it will continue censoring the media and the Internet and it will continue locking up and torturing those who try to stand up for their rights and the rights of others.
It isn’t political. Human rights – the right to things like health and shelter to the freedom of expression and religion – are the basis for all human life. To stand up for human rights is to stand up for the values enshrined in the Olympic Charter.
Take action on China’s human rights abuses at Amnesty International new microsite http://www.uncensor.com.au.
- Posted by kimI have got great news!! Today, in our Parliament, Australia, the Senate has unanimously passed a motion to call for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong in China. That should stop the brutal attacks in other parts of the world as well, please refer http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-6-24/723 48.html
- Posted by WendyYEAH!! A small step for our politicians, a BIG step for Falun Gong. Thank you to the International Olympic Committee for bringing the evil to the fore….
If you guys have facebook, please join my group that I created for this exact issue. I am SO glad when athletes themseles shares their opinions on this issue.
Regards,
- Posted by AleksandraAleksandra
Officer for “Boycott the Beijing Opening Ceremony by International Heads of State”
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I’ll be the first to deny China the right to host the Olympic Games, but it would not be fair. In the days of Soviet control most soviet countries participated on the Olympics. We used to jest about their women looking like men, etc. But, still they participated, so even though China is communist and does rule by terrorism and undue control on it’s population, still they are allowed to participate. The other side of all of this is that the US is China’s best customer. So, should the US stop buying all that stuff from China, then I would agree to boycott the Olympics in China.
- Posted by elipicayoAs a volunteer for several human rights organizations for over thirty-five years, I am deeply troubled by the Beijing Olympics. Why the IOC chose Beijing in the first place is beyond my comprehension. I love the people of China but I do not like the government of China. The human rights abuses are on a scale most of us cannot imagine. After the recent natural disaster in China instead of putting more aid to the hundreds of thousands of people who are suffering, the government is putting more workers in Beijing to make sure the opening of the Olympics and all the facilities are ready.
One only has to watch the fiasco of the Olympic torch to see the iron hand the Chinese government has, not only on the Chinese people, but on the people of Tibet. The Olympics are not going to be broadcasted live due to the government’s concern about demonstrations or protests concerning a Free Tibet, Save Darfur, and other important international campaigns.
I was once a dancer, ballet, and I know the hard work that goes into training the body from a very early age. My heart goes out to future Olympians but if I was one of them, I would boycott the Beijing Olympics. I could not participate in something that caused the suffering of millions.
The sportive, knightly battle awakens the best human characteristics. It doesn’t separate, but unites the combatants in understanding and respect. He also helps to connect the countries in the spirit of peace. That’s why the Olympic Flame should never die.
Adolf Hitler
Commenting on 1936 Olympic Games
Never again! Please boycott the 2008 Olympics.
- Posted by Sonam Ling?????????????????????????????????????
Please use the vision to see that these things, look at it from another angle, can not say the politicization of the Olympic Games
- Posted by kexiaowuIn four years, the Olympic athletes and attendees will have another chance. Can that be said for the 400,000 residents of Darfur who died in a China-financed genocide? Can that be said for the residents of Tibet who might never get a chance at life at all?
World peace is an important tenet of any Olympic Games. If China isn’t willing to contribute to world peace, it’s only fair that the Olympics go somewhere else.
- Posted by Kenneth Burchfielwelcome to China,welcome to Beijing! China is not good enough, but is improving and will not stop such efforts. I have strong confidents on China!
- Posted by Justin—- A Chinese common people