Rings of magic

To all but the most cynical, the next three weeks offer a time to celebrate the best that sport can offer us. The Olympic Games are not simply the best collection of the world8217;s best sporting talent more than 10,000 participants; they also gather the best in the spirit of human endeavour. Through the haze of sponsors8217; logos and the rustle of the Big Bucks, beyond the dope-testing labs that could play as important a role as the starter8217;s gun, past the heavy security blanket, that spirit has wafted into Athens, infusing a buzz that is only associated with the magic of the Games. The magic that has drawn sportsmen from countries as powerful as the US and as humble as Kiribati, and gets the millionaire stars of the NBA to share rooms with their anonymous compatriot wrestlers. The magic that has lured Merlene Ottey, 44 years old and with eight medals already in her trophy room, back one more improbable time, running for Slovenia. And has prompted swimmer Michael Phelps to set aside four years of his fledgling life for the singular purpose of Olympic glory.

As with every other pursuit, however, the chase for Olympic glory has its negative side-effects. Doping has already cast a cloud over the Games with some of the world8217;s top athletes either suspended or suspected, and the IOC8217;s chief Jacques Rogge has said the next three weeks will see many more in the dock. If that isn8217;t enough to sully the Olympic spirit, the rampant commercialisation 8212; which prevents a spectator from consuming a soft drink if it isn8217;t the official brand 8212; does the trick, say the cynics. Most crucially, the Athens Olympics may well be remembered, long after they are through, as much for the mounting, crippling bills they have run up as for the feats on track and field. Sadly, Baron Pierre de Coubertin8217;s simple, earnest idea has assumed untenable proportions; it no longer makes financial sense for any country other than the super-rich 8212; or those on the road there 8212; to host an Olympics.

And one last thought: for the next three weeks, let us not measure the calibre of our Olympians by the medals they win or lose. India, as PricewaterhouseCoopers said in a recent study, does not have the sporting culture 8212; in the widest, deepest possible sense 8212; to produce its due complement of Olympic medal-winners. Watching every ball of every cricket match India plays is not enough; to be swifter, higher and stronger than the rest requires far greater involvement and sacrifice. Perhaps it8217;s not for us yet, perhaps our priorities are different. For the moment, though, let8217;s celebrate de Coubertin8217;s updated motto: the most important thing in the Games is the winning, but just to take part is still a very big deal.