There goes my passion for sports

We’ve barely had time to wrap our heads around the scale of corruption in world football governing body, Fifa and now have to come to terms with another massive scandal involving the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), following a damning report that top officials took bribes to cover up positive doping results, mostly from Russian athletes. Russia has since been expelled from international athletics while former IAAF President, Lamine Diack was arrested and charged with corruption along with other key figures involved in the cover-up. And now we’re learning of wide spread match-fixing in Tennis, according to claims by a former player. Tennis regulators are dismissing the claims but after World No 1 Novak Djokovic revealed this week that he was offered $200,000 in 2007 to lose a match, I don’t for a second doubt that some players have or are losing games on purpose. We have a serious problem now that sport is more about money than sportsmanship. As the popular saying goes, God made man, man made money and money corrupted man. Greed and betting companies are at the core of this problem and no sport is safe. Pakistan bowler, Mohammad Amir who has been serving a five-year-ban for match-fixing just returned to action. American sprinter Justin Gatlin who has served two doping bans is also competing again. Fellow American, Lance Armstrong who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles following his 2013 doping admission is now trying to get his lifetime cycling ban lifted and I wouldn’t be surprised if he succeeds and is allowed to compete again. That’s how low sports has sunk. I remember feeling embarrassed and disappointed on learning that several African teams were more keen on getting their appearance fees and bonuses than winning matches during the 2014 World Cup. Cameroon’s Squad refused to travel to Brazil until their bonuses were increased. Ghana’s players threatened to strike before their game against Portugal and we all heard about the $3 million cash flown to Brazil to appease the players and I believe those Asamoah Gyan selfies with some of the cash weren’t photoshopped! Nigeria’s players also refused to train until their bonuses for advancing to the round of 16 were paid. All this while players from Greece requested Antonis Samaras, their Prime Minister at the time to use their bonuses to build a new training centre for the National Team. You can clearly tell who would easily be lured into fixing matches and who plays for country. I’m not saying sportsmen and women shouldn’t be compensated as this is their job and most of them put in a lot of hard work but I just want them to remember that they have fans. There are diehards who save for years so they can watch at least one world cup game live. While most athletes have their accommodation, travel and other expenses taken care of by sports authorities in their respective countries, spectators often foot their own bills, so for you to get on to the track, pitch, court or wherever your particular sport is played and lose on purpose is not just unfair but wrong. Personally, I now can’t look at comebacks or even upsets without wondering whether money didn’t have something to do with it.

Lifestyle

There goes my passion for sports