THE OLYMPIC IDEAL

By Namakando Nalikando Sinyama, B.Sc Forestry,BAHRM

"Stronger,faster,smarter,fairer and more intelligent-To the N th Degree."

The long term benefits of any sport have been well researched to warrant conflicting views from any source.

However,i would like to state from the onset that i'm not exactly a fun or supporter of competitive sports especially the combative sort.Football happens to be my favourite of all non-combative sports but ever since i embarked on a path of spiritual enlightenment i've ceased to be a fanatical supporter of any football club.I'm never confortable seeing the dejection and shame inflicted on a loosing team,this is why i've opted for neutrality.

The idea of seeing two rational beings causing one another pain and shading the life giving fluid all in the name of sport or for the love of money and so called national and individual glory causes my spirit to grieve.As for the football i enjoy to watch and play,i do it all for the 'kicks' as i would say!

The Olympic games are a global show-piece where the best proffessional men & women in all sports strieve for excellence.The underlying olympic spirit i have been told that it was envisioned they would foster international friendship,unity and co-operation.Sadly the original esssence of the games i have noticed is about to get lost as the materialistic ,ego-centric and nationalistic motives have effectively stifled the olympic spirit.This has been made evident by the unending doppingg scandals that have dogged this years games and the ones before them.Clearly the selfish ego which proclaims 'victory at all costs' has taken its toll on the pure spirit of these historic games.The other misleading mantra now is,"WINNING IS NOT EVERYTHING,IT IS ACTUALLY THE ONLY THING THERE IS!"

Watching the pugilist proffessionals at it in the ring made me realise how all this is made worse by seemingly unfair officiating by human judges.As to what extent their judgment is influenced by nationalism,regionalism,ideology or even worse racism, is not my concern right now.The poor boxing judges might well have been due to human imperfection of not scoring points for one boxer either by blinking at the critical moment,scoring wrongly or merely choosing to not to see a point scored.The use of three judges to score these matches has clearly not helped matters much.Since we still need to have humanity constantly demonstrate just how far the human physique can go,at least let these games be judged fairly.

IDEA

I suggest that the protective head gears of the boxers have electronic transmitters fitted and connected to a giant screen. This will be registering points because of the physical contact made to the head with sufficient force.This way all bias will be ruled out i hope!machines fitted in them and connected to some giant monitor or screen for all to see.A punch to the head should be hard enough so that the pressure registers as a point on seem to be better at doing some things! I know this is a very discomforting thought to realise that we as humans are creating Artificially more Intelligent machines than ourselves to a point where we will have dangerously reduced levels of involvement in our own activities?


Namakando Nalikando Sinyama
Barotse Patriot
Barotseland, Central Africa
“I tell you a truth, liberty is the best of all things, my son, never live under a slavish bond.” – Sir William Wallace’s Uncle