Written By : Andrew Samuel
The recently concluded 32nd Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, has brought new hope to the world, which has been grappling with the coronavirus pandemic for the past 20 months. On a global scale, we are more connected than we can imagine.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach hailed the Olympics as the “games of hope, solidarity and peace”.
“For the first time since the pandemic began, the entire world came together,” he said. In accordance with the new norm, the indoor games took place in empty stadiums without spectators.
But the billions of viewers watching the games on television or YouTube all over the world were “united by emotions”, cherishing and celebrating some of the remarkable moments in history.
The athletes displayed their highest ability, though there were no spectators to cheer for them. Sports has the power to unite people across the globe through emotions, though we speak different languages and come from diverse backgrounds.
The Tokyo Olympics saw the participation of athletes from more than 200 nations and the Refugee Olympic Team. Although the games took place during unprecedented times, the spirit of Olympics was kept alive through the sportsmanship and competitiveness of the athletes.
British athlete Katarina Johnson-Thomson refused the wheelchair offered by volunteers and limped to finish the heats of the heptathlon 200m race despite sustaining a calf injury. The athletes, through their courage and resilience, have also shown us that age is not a factor.
Gymnast Oksana Chusovitina, 46, received a standing ovation after her performance in her 8th Olympic games and 36-year-old Eliud Kipchoge defended his gold medal in the men’s marathon. Their victories are a testament to the human spirit.
The athletes coming from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds embody the Olympic motto of “faster, higher, stronger, together”, emphasising the importance of solidarity.
In the 800m semi-finals, after getting tangled and falling to the ground, Isaiah Jewett of the United States and Nijel Amos of Botswana helped each other to get back on their feet and walked together with their arms around each other to the finishing line.
Then, in the high jump finals, when Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy and Mutaz Barshim of Qatar ended up tied (after each not clearing the 2.39m mark), they decided to share the gold as the world watched them embracing each other.
Traces of racism and sexism in sports reared its ugly head here and there, but humanity triumphed. The South Korean woman archer, An San, who made history by winning three gold medals at the Tokyo Games (individual, women’s team and mixed team in archery), received messages of support when she was targeted with sexist remarks for her short hair.
Similarly, women athletes in their leotards were abused online with sexist comments. But these did not dampen their spirits. Society needs to realise that the moral policing of female athletes’ attire and gender discrimination are uncivilised and affect the mental health of the athletes.
There were many magical and heartwarming moments during the 17 days of the biggest sporting event of the world. The athletes demonstrated the spirit of togetherness. This includes the camaraderie shown by the Indonesian pair, Greysia Polii-Apriyani Rahayu, after winning the women’s doubles badminton, by embracing their counterparts at the podium.
Also, the photograph of our national gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi posing with the other women gymnasts and the iconic senior gymnast Oksana captured our hearts as there was so much of genuineness in their act.
Let us all carry the Olympic spirit of togetherness in our hearts and in our actions for a better world.
