SPORTS AND POLITICS

Sports and Politics



Sports and Politics

Introduction

The government of any country plays a vital role in formulating and shaping the policies

prevalent in that country, which includes the area of sports. The way the society influences sports and has an impact on them can be illustrated by studying the relationship between politics and sports of the country (Morgan, 2007, pp. 473). The country's government has a persuasive impact on sports ass it can boost the growth of the sports industry and take measures that will help enhance the performance of people in sports (Hoberman, 1984, pp. 315). The country politics can also play an influential role in driving more people to attend sport events in the country and organize such events for fostering the relationship of the country with the other countries (Horne, Tomlinson & Whannel, 1999, pp. 298).

Play and sports integrate regulations and rules which are obtained from the actual world in one way or the other. Sports is a means of providing resources that are usable, and it contributes greatly to nation-building and making an image internationally (Morgan, 2007, pp. 473). Countries start getting recognized when they win in sports events and that adds to the respect of their nation, and enhances their credibility when it comes to political matters. Nowadays, it is difficult to categorize any sports as being free from politics, and there is very little proof to suggest that politics and sports can survive separately (Hoberman, 1984, pp. 315). It has become inevitable to include politics when the topic of sports is being discussed.

Discussion

Background

While studying history, it can be noticed that the governments have always interfered in matters related to sports (King, 2012, pp. 324). An example can be seen in the governments of cities and states in ancient Greece where the government authorities made use of sports in order to enhance the fitness of their citizens for the purpose of war and to illustrate their superiority, governance and power on the city-states. In the early stages of the era of Romans, sport was utilized mainly for maintaining fitness for military purposes, and later on was used by the elites that rules to organize events like sports for entertainment purposes (Horne, Tomlinson & Whannel, 1999, pp. 298).

Changes and continuity in political ideology since 1950

There are many ways through which sports have evolved in the United Kingdom since the 1950s. Improved standard of living of people living in that time enabled people to increase their participation in sports as they became more aware about the importance of staying healthy and started to socialize more (Hylton & Bramham, 2007, pp. 264). At that time, commercial forces were allowed to enter the world of sports by only amateur administrators who were very reluctant at first. The improvement in people's lifestyles and increase in their incomes allowed them to buy more of televisions, thus increasing the television people were exposed to. This paved way for sponsors to emphasize on sports and importance of sports could be signified on televisions ...