The
Olympic Games which has its roots from the ancient Greece is a uniting factor as
well as means of promoting healthy competition, diplomacy and friendship among
nations. It has evolved from a small time sports in early Athens to a mega
international fiesta in the contemporary world with accompanying celebration at
its commemoration every four years. With time, the game attracted unprecedented
fans, bringing more contestants as additional events are featured. For
instance, when the Olympic returned to Athens in the summer of 2004, more than a century after, the number of participating
countries reached 201 and 11,000 athletes competed at the event.
With topical world events, one can deduce that some
activities are becoming threat to the peaceful and successful hosting of any
gathering, especially one with an international undertone such as the Olympics. Of visible threat to the Rio Olympics is the issue of
terrorism and the Zika virus.
Terrorism and Olympics
The
first recorded act of terrorism in Olympic history was witnessed in the early
hours of 5th September 1972, when a team of Palestinian terrorists
attacked the Israeli camp at the Summer Olympics in Munich West Germany. The action changed the perception of the world as it led to
hostage taking and eventual killing of nine Israelis after failed negotiations. Subsequently, intense security was put into
consideration in the preparation of any Olympic game. Although the Brazilian authorities and Olympic officials
have stressed their readiness to effectively secure participants and ensure a
safe experience for the over 500,000 visitors expected in the game, the growing
notoriety of ISIS activities and its numerous sympathizers are threatening the
game. Latest incidents around France Belgium and Germany were mass-casualty terror attacks has
been recorded from ISIS sympathizers is becoming worrisome. More alarming is
the discovery of a group of Brazilian youths who authorities described as ISIS
fans and are planning isolated attacks during the game. Although the said youths
have been confirmed to be amateurs, no one can adequately ascertain their level
of involvement.
Zika Virus
The emergence of the Zika virus in the South American country is
another major threat to the Olympics. The Zika, a virus which carries a number
of negative birth defects is transmitted by mosquitoes and can affect the
newborn of an infected person, causing serious autoimmune
disorder likened to the Guillain-Barre syndrome. In a swift bid to protect
their unborn generation, many athletes have decided to back out from this
year’s Olympic competition. For instance, the World’s number one golfer, Jason Day, has announced his withdrawal from the game, declaring
his decision as concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus and
the potential risks it may present to his wife's future pregnancies and future family
members. The tennis world has also witnessed a setback in this Olympic as four
top players announced their intention to skip the game.
These trends are
certainly not good for the Rio Olympics, but more concern is for the future of
Olympics, as new trends are bound to emerge in future. Careful measures need to
be taken into consideration, to ensure the Olympics game are sustained for our generations
to come.
