Sarawak’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah made a timely statement telling off the squabbling sides not to play politics in sports.
It resonated with many that sports and politics should not mix.
While he was referring to swimming, in relation to Sarawak swimmers at the National Age Group Championship, including those who were purportedly blocked from participating due to ‘internal politics’ – in whatever form, context or interpretation, Datuk Karim had driven home the message that sports should not be politicised.
” Sports can unite worlds, tear down walls, and transcend race, the past, and all probability. “
Sports competitions bring together athletes from all backgrounds, sans race, creed, religion and politics.
Sports events are not a gathering of politicians, religious teachers or militants.
It is a gathering of humanity coming together for a oneness in purpose of testing the human limits of endurance in going “faster, higher and stronger”.
How coincidental, after our Prime Minister of “Malaysia Baru” had refused to allow Israeli para-swimmers from competing in an international competition to be held, of all places, Kuching.
” When genuine sports fans want a contest to savor, what right does politics have, to stop people from having fun? “
His decision was unfortunately supported by our youthful federal Minister of Youth and Sports – a young, highly educated and fine gentleman whom his supporters believe can even be our future prime minister.
Is there any justifiable reason in halting a sporting contest for political problems?
Since time immemorial, sports has shown it has the power to heal a society.
Cricket in Sri Lanka helped the islanders heal the wounds of a 30-year war when the country hosted the World Cup in 1996 which gave all Sri Lankans a commonality, one point of collective joy and ambition that gave a divided nation hope.
The 1972 Munich Olympics witnessed the victory of love over hatred – where the human spirit as epitomised in sports overwhelmed terrorism and political strife – where a Palestinian militant group Black September took 11 Israeli Olympic team members hostage and killed them along with a police officer.
Despite the tragedy, the Games continued – athletes from all walks of life found solidarity in each other that the world should not bow to violence as a way of resolving political problems, least of all, in an international sporting arena.
Sports can unite worlds, tear down walls, and transcend race, the past, and all probability.
In fact, one doesn’t need to look too far from India and Pakistan to realise how sports can be a palanquin that conveys hope and optimism – and that sport is cricket.
It was a brotherhood – a region’s collective realisation of its strength as a single dominion – fashioned to send the rest of the world a strong message.
Such cricket diplomacy has helped both countries fend off war clouds for a very long time.
Do people really care about the political differences in their daily life?
Despite the occasional rallying behind their nations, Indians and Pakistanis seem not to care about the political differences.
Thus, it was no secret that the election of Imran Khan as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan was met with much joy and elation around the world – ex-Pakistani cricket captain, renowned for his graciousness and magnanimity.
It shows that nothing, not even politics and nationalism could trump ordinary human beings’ predisposition for camaraderie.
There are things in life which politics cannot dictate terms – things where humanity holds sway.
Sporting contests, much like love, is a sheer expression of humanity’s innate penchant for association and companionship.
When genuine sports fans want a contest to savor, what right does politics have, to stop people from having fun?
What happens between Palestine and Israel should have no significance in sports.
Neither swimming nor sports have anything to do with the ugly skirmishes between the two power mongrels.
Let the ordinary people seek ordinary pleasures surpassing all bounds, for what most men and women need is good food and great fun.
Hatred and enmity should be confined exclusively to those who derive sadistic pleasure in lobbing grenades or firing self-propelled rockets at each other.
Let the cheers of fans and athletes drown the sounds of war and strife.
We should encourage and allow the sporting and competitive spirit between these estranged countries help heal the wounds of their horrific past.
But above all, what is important is that the sporting world should send the world a strong message, about its unity and about its solidarity.
The Palestinian and Israeli governments might not want to end their skirmishes, but Palestinian and Israeli athletes should always find solace in each other’s arms and show that sports can indeed heal scars and unite them.
We have the best platform and stage to project that – we can be the ideal living testimony of “unity in diversity”.
We should not be a copycat of, or parrot for others.
Then we are, in a way, no different from the extremists – we’re either choosing to be the stick of dynamite or the fuse, rather than be the water to douse both.
“An eye for an eye” and “tooth for a tooth” would lead to a world of the blind and toothless.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Sarawak Tribune.
