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It all began as a form of entertainment, a competition to test the strength of individuals. Then it transcended to another level. It’s inexplicable how a “Rooooonnnneeeeyyyy” in the 90th minute can breathe new life, how a Nadal injury can deflate and how in 90 minutes the entire Earth can come to a standstill. It’s extraordinary how a Van Persie or a Ronaldo or a Bolt matter so much. Sport is no longer just a form of entertainment. It is a way of life. The power of the human spirit, the defiance of human limits, the endurance of pain: this gladiator like spirit of sportsmen is what escalates them to such levels of greatness and makes sport what it is today. The role of sport has evolved- it now stands for “Right to Play”, for respect and for peace. Sport is now a platform to integrate society and bring about social change. At the same time, like any large dominant powerhouse, sport has its own dark secrets – buried and lost in the pages of history. When I sit back and introspect on the conflicting nature and role of sports, 3 incidents come to mind and I call them, “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Sport.”
THE GOOD:
The nature of sports and the role it has played in society and in the lives of people has changed from generation to generation. In 1936, the Olympics were not just the biggest quadrennial show piece of sports. The 1936 games were held in the abode of Hitler and Nazi Germany, in the city of Munich. For Germans, the games represented a tool to establish Aryan superiority and uphold their policy of the discrimination against the Jews. Enter, a lanky, 5 foot 10 inch Black American: Jesse Owens changed the way sport is viewed today and the ideals it stands for. While German athletes dominated every other event, he broke 3 world records by capturing the gold medals in the 100m, long jump and 4*100m relay.
The event made headlines all over the world. In one move, Jesse Owens had delivered the perfect knockout punch to the German anti-semitism policy. Liberty, equality and fraternity were highlighted. Hope dawned in these wretched times. Overnight, Jesse Owens re-defined what sport stood for. It stood as a level playing ground where battles were fought on equal terms, a platform to bring about social change, one of the strongest means to spark a revolution. It is why today, we see so many events with emphasis on Right to Play and Right to Respect. One man defied the odds. The entire sporting fraternity got behind him. A strong answer was given to the anti-semitism policy. It brought hope to the downtrodden all across the world.
THE BAD:
1968. Mexico City, Mexico.
The 1936 Olympics were supposed to pass the ultimate statement on the Domination of the Aryans. The 1968 Olympics were held against the backdrop of the Cold War. The role of the Olympics and the role of sports as a whole had changed a lot ever since the transformation triggered by Jesse Owens. During the Cold War, the Olympics acted as an effective instrument to break the political deadlock between nations. In fact, the Olympics have been praised a lot for the role they played during those tumultuous times.
That brings me back to 1968.
American Tommie Smith set the world record for the 200m race. His teammate John Carlos finished third. Australian Peter Norman finished second. The trio went up to receive their medals with Norman wearing an anti-racism badge on his shoulder: a mark of protest against the racism prevalent in Australia at the time. Both Black Americans, Smith and Carlos made an even stronger statement. While the American National Anthem played, the 2 players raised their hands wearing black gloves. Smith’s open jacket was a mark of solidarity of the Black people.
This came to be known as “The Power of Black Salute.”
RISE ABOVE HATE
“The Salute of Black Power” was against the apartheid in America. One would think that after Jesse Owen’s stand against racism, this protest would be lauded all over the world. Instead, the crowd booed them off the podium. They were ostracized by their fellow team mates, death threats were issued to their families and they were expelled from their respective national Olympic teams. The Head of the International Olympic Committee called “The Salute of Black Power” a disgrace in the name of sport. Tommie Smith remarked,”If I win, I am American, not a Black American. But if I did something bad, then they would say I am a Negro. We are black and we are proud of being black. Black America will understand what we did tonight.
“Today, the International Olympic Committee calls “The Black Salute” an embodiment of the spirit of the games.
The whole story of the discrimination by the Olympic Committee, is recorded nowhere officially.
THE UGLY:
Justin Fashanu, anyone? It’s amazing that in the middle of a homosexual revolution, no one knows about football’s “First Homosexual.” Players come and go, entertain fans and fade off the footballing canvas. Every generation has a Ronaldo or a Messi who take the game light years ahead and eclipse every other name. But the discrimination of Justin Fashanu is an emotional tale which, in the end, took his life. In 1980, Fashanu had just capped off a spectacular season for Norwich. He won the BBC Goal of The Year Award. As he escalated into the upper echelons of the footballing world, his privacy was raped. His visits to private gay clubs were splashed across the tabloids. The new Norwich manager, Brian Clough, prevented Fashanu from training with the side. The star of the 1980 season was sidelined to the bench, his appearances became sporadic, his goals depleted and eventually his confidence dried up.
MURDERED BY THE GAME, OF THE GAME, FOR THE GAME??
In his autobiography, Clough recounts a dressing down he gave Fashanu after hearing rumours that he was going to gay bars. “‘Where do you go if you want a loaf of bread?’ I asked him. ‘A baker’s, I suppose.’ ‘Where do you go if you want a leg of lamb?’ ‘A butcher’s.’ ‘So why do you keep going to that bloody poofs’ club?”
In 1982, he moved to Southampton where homosexuality continued to shadow his talent. He came out openly as a homosexual in 1990. As soon as this news hit the tabloids, there was worldwide criticism especially by his team mates, stating that gays had no place in a team sport, and his brother John publicly disowned him. In a sport, a player can endure anything as long as the fans stand by him. Fashanu’s sexual orientation became the subject of constant crowd abuse.
In an interview with British Daily, The Sun, Fashanu claimed to have had several sexual encounters of the British Parliament. Following this confession, The Sun ran a whole cover story showcasing a probable list of MP’s who could have been Fashanu’s mate. Fashanu’s career was literally raped by the British media and later Fashanu admitted he wasn’t ready for the backlash which followed and it caused irreparable damage to his career. After the confession, Fashanu wasn’t on a full time contract with any professional football club.
His ostracized career and life finally came to an end when a 17-year-old accused him of rape after a night of drinking. There was a huge outcry from the sporting community. On 3rd May, 1998 Fashanu was found dead in his apartment with a suicide note that said: “I realised that I had already been presumed guilty. I do not want to embarrass my friends and family.” Justin Fashanu’s name is lost. A player who should be the face of the game to remove homophobic barriers has been buried somewhere. The football community destroyed his career. When he needed their support, they estranged him.
We herald sports today as a means of bringing social change and as an integrator of society. The truth is, it has its own secrets buried somewhere, while its heroic triumphs are magnified on a grand scale.
It’s Good. It’s Bad. It’s Ugly.
