Monday 18 August 2008

On the Olympics, Success, and National Pride

Ya Akhi why do we participate in the greatest sporting competition if we're not really planning to win anything? I can understand the degree of professionalism athletes have worldwide, but that's really the point, being a professional athlete is the road to winning in any competition, certainly the Olympic games, and it's not like you find out 20 minutes before it starts, you've got 4 freaken years to prepare! See the Olympic games are politics wearing shorts, raising national flags and playing national anthems, it's a show of force, albeit soft.

Maybe it's not fair to blame the athletes themselves, as they're just the executors, but failure is a domino effect, so is success, we're just used to failure, as we give it a fatalistic attribute, rather than the product of our mentality. Zimbabwe, one of the poorest most failed states in the world has already won 4 medals.

One last note, notice how the leading countries in the Madel count are all "nation states", national pride is the driving force for success, in politics, sports and everything in between, and it's not an achievement to waltz down the track with the flag at the opening ceremony if that's the only thing you do, once every 4 years.

6 comments:

  1. yislam thomak. I just wrote about this the other day. It makes you sick.

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  2. Fi3lan ishi bifleg, they should disband the Jordan Olympic Committee and use the money to feed the poor, bala olympics bala batteekh

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  3. Ya 3eini, our athletes don't take the profession seriously..all they knew is they're going to China for a vacation, secured for them by their respective political and religious leaders just to hold the flag..I think we have only one guy,and I don't consider what he does a sport..he shoots something..(am talking about Leb.)

    I've been watching the interviews with the athletes who won, all they did for the past 4years is prepare..The american swimmer,I think his name is"Phelps" said he's been doing nothing but train since 04..I think we are there just to annoy them loool
    Like you said, bala olympics bala batata :)

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  4. lol... Bil3aks Jordan is about preparing people.. for their graves that is. The Zimbabwe thing you said made me long feverishly for the experience of jumping off a 10 story building.
    What's the secret ingredient behind this well calculated failure? I think there is this one little screw somewhere that can solve it for everyone (metal screw that is, figuratively).

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  5. Ramadan Kareem.

    p.s. If you are not Muslim, Happy September!


    Fawazeer @ mab3oos

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  6. Thank you Mab, Ramadan Kareem on all, and yes I am Muslim.

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