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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 5 - 11 October 2000 Issue No. 502 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 5 - 11 October 2000 Issue No. 502
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Elections Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters At the Olympics
By Salama Ahmed Salama
When the possibility of hosting the 2008 Olympics in Cairo was discussed a few months ago, I could hardly believe my ears. How could the idea even occur to somebody, I thought, given the deplorable state of Egyptian sports? Could self-delusion go so far as to make it seem possible? Did anyone realise what hosting the Olympics would entail? The task would require not only the local availability of high-calibre sportsmen but the ability to accommodate hundreds of thousands of onlookers, sports and media figures, and to provide smooth transportation and communications -- not to mention the tremendous technical capabilities needed.
Like every other human activity, sports requires the kind of economic and psychological investment that goes into the making of an effective infrastructure and competent personnel, and that does not deal wastefully with time, an essential resource.
The bitter truth is that concern with sports -- whether in Egypt or the rest of the Arab world -- seldom goes beyond appearances, or else the vapid enthusiasm for a football team that, for each match it wins, loses ten, and cannot stand up to any challenge once away from its stronghold of fans. These appearances are normally accompanied by media hysteria and an educational system that seems designed to discourage budding sportsmen and women. Schools seldom have courts or grounds on which to produce and nurture young talent. Corruption in sports clubs and administrative bodies, moreover, has turned the field into a set of parasitic cliques incapable of doing their jobs.
The majority of primary and preparatory schools, where young talent should be found, have neither courts, swimming pools nor gymnasiums; and the same is true of the youth and sports centres located near them. Having taken over much of the space devoted to extracurricular activities in schools, the centres should have provided the students with courts in compensation. The state has sanctioned the establishment of private schools that cost thousands of pounds and yet provide their students with neither courts nor adequate physical education. Thus the only thriving sport is watching sports on TV.
Still, some dare to claim that Third World countries are the victims of discrimination at international competitions. Instead of blaming our failures on insufficient training, corrupt administration and the general lack of means, some look for absurd excuses like bad luck or bias.
Egypt has been content with the honour of being represented in this international event. Egyptian sportsmen did not go to Sydney with any medals in view, because winning was not a concern; nor did their coaches and administrators plan for it. No tears trickled down the cheeks of those players who narrowly missed victory. On the other hand, some sportsmen were excluded from a competition after having tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Of course, being represented at the Olympics and actually participating in the competitions are two quite different things. So long as the goal is mere representation, there really is no need to undertake the expense of sending such a huge number of sportsmen, coaches and media people to the games. In none of the 18 events featuring Egypt did we reach even the semi-finals. May the next Olympics find us all happy and well.
