Faster, higher, stronger—or so the Olympic Games motto goes.
It doesn’t feel so long ago when I wrote an entry here about the 2004 Summer Olympic games in Athens. This was during my doctoral program in Perth, and I followed the games semi-closely, rooting for the Australian swimming, American basketball and for the Singaporean teams that weren’t too dominated by foreign sporting talents-turned citizens (sorry it’s a bit of a nationalistic thing for me). There were quite a few fiascoes in that event, e.g. Paul Hamm’s gold award, all the dope scandals, and the anti-American-everything sentiment that seemed everywhere in the competition.
Is it going to be any different this time? Well, the rabid anti-American sentiment seems to have diminished ever so slightly in the last couple of months. Moreover, unlike the last time round Bush isn’t running for re-election this time. Rather, a genuinely likable Black American candidate is in it facing off an experienced old hat in foreign diplomacy.
But then again, knowing how nationalistic is the host nation, I’ll bet my bottom dollar that when the gold tallies get close, tempers will fly, accusations will shoot and rivalries will turn ugly. In fact, less than a fortnight before the games begin, there are already mutterings about whether a couple of Chinese gymnasts poised to bag a couple of gold medals are really as old as official documents state. And anyone remembers all that stuff about Steven Spielberg refusing to get involved in the opening ceremony?
And let’s not forget that with the world’s oldest sporting competition drawing millions of spectators, visitors and dignitaries, the local terrorist organizations want their share of media time too. Never mind that these fellows aren’t as famous as their Al-Qaeda brethren now fighting it out with NATO along the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Yep sirree. It’s gonna be an interesting tournament. I don’t think the scandals are gonna be avoidable, but here’s to hoping at least that the bad guys i.e. terorrists stay far, far away. For if they were to embarass the Chinese by staging an attack on their very home and right when they’re proudly hosting a big event like this, I imagine the Chinese will muster all their power, might, and million-person army to crush them into very, very fine powder.
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