Nowadays, international sports events are becoming increasingly popular around the world and often have massive global viewing figures. Although many people enjoy these competitions, there are concerns that the events are often over commercialised and are simply a platform for selling things. There are also real concerns that they encourage nationalism, but do these problems outweigh their overall value?
Many people would agree that a lot of events do seem over-commercial, especially when they see the masses of corporate sponsors at such events, which often include seemingly unhealthy brands such as Coca-cola and MacDonald’s. They also feel that corporate sponsors force out real fans by buying up all the tickets at very high prices.
It’s also true that some events can be very nationalistic. The Chinese government, for example, is trying to use the coming Olympics to demonstrate its progress and power. And in football competitions, there is often the problem of hooliganism, with groups of fans intentionally setting out to fight supporters from other countries.
However, it would be a mistake to overlook the positive sides of such events. For one thing, young people can be very inspired by the positive role models they see, for example the French footballer Zinedine Zidane. And in Taiwan, the national baseball team’s success gives people a sense of national pride. These events can also provide a platform for people from all over the world to meet and celebrate something they all enjoy.
In conclusion, I think it would be a shame to do away with international sporting events, as they can inspire people and be very enjoyable. However, it is down to the organisers and governments to curb the uglier side of these events, otherwise they will eventually turn people off them.
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