Sports: Focus on traditional disciplines

Why should the IOC come and force these sports disciplines upon you if you don’t have no interest in them? Isn’t this what we have been loudly objecting to?

Friday, August 26, 2016

Editor,

RE: "The Olympics should be more inclusive” (The New Times, August 21).

Why should the IOC come and force these sports disciplines upon you if you don’t have no interest in them? Isn’t this what we have been loudly objecting to?

Having powerful countries impose their culture, ideas, practices...on us. Those sports disciplines do not end with Olympics, they already have a local following and support to sustain them. You develop an interest and support first then you go on to compete at the highest level, not the other way round.

And what have we achieved in those so African disciplines? Do we have a medal in boxing, basketball, football, tennis or cycling? It’s just athletics (two countries!) where we use sheer endurance and individual determination rather than skill and organisation.

So, let’s first improve on what we already do before we start clamoring for fencing, equestrian or kayaking. Quality over quantity.

Ed