The Beijing Olympics has just concluded!
I was watching more events in its last week, though I wished I watched more in its first week!
Anyways, my commentary on the Olympic controversies!
1) Many have questioned the age of some of the Chinese gymnasts!
For the Olympics, the gymnasts have to be at least 16.
Some of the Chinese gymnasts look younger than that!
Anyways, there's always people who look younger or older than their age!
Some say on this age controversy -- get rid of the age limits!
However, my main concern isn't how old those gymnasts look!
The age limits is supposed to protect younger athletes from over-exerting themselves!
Training for Olympic level competition requires strenuous training!
However, having Olympic level training for children has many negatives!
It takes away their childhood! Children need a more well-rounded experience than just training all day! They need time to explore other things as well, as well as unstructured time!
Also, because they are growing, strenuous training could interfere with their growth and cause joint damage!
2) Spain's basketball team appeared in ad in which they put their fingers near the eyes to make it look as slanted as an average-Chinese person's eyes!
Obviously that caused a racial controversy!
Some pointed out it has offended Asian-Americans more than Asians in Asia!
There's a reason for that!
In China, the Chinese are the majority! They never been a minority in their life, unless they visited foreign lands! They never experienced the stigma of having their accents, names, languages, or eyes mocked!
For Asians living in North America, Europe, Australia or other non-Asian places, that ad with the Spanish basketball team gives them some bad memories!
That ad reminds them of the racist bullies who went up to their face, make fake slant-eye and yell at them in a fake Chinese accent! It reminds them of those who said "go back to China" while pushing them around!
It also reminds some of all those Korean stores burned and Asian drivers attacked by racist mobs during the LA riots in 1992! (which by the way is in the same city as where Spanish basketball player Paul Gasol plays during the NBA season!)
The Spanish basketball team most likely weren't thinking about those things when they made the ad. To them, it's one of those middle-school level, frat boy things that many young males do when visiting their friends house!
However, they're not in middle school anymore, they're adults representing their country in the Olympics!
3) some complained about Jamaican track star Usain Bolt thumping his chest when he crossed the finish-line!
I think those complainers need to lighten up! He wasn't insulting his competitors, he was just happy he won!
4) some feminists complained about women beach volleyball players wearing bikinis whereas men beach volleyball players wore long shorts! Nevermind that many male swimmers/divers/water polo players were wearing nothing but Speedo underwear!
If you dont like looking at any of that, change the station!
5) An Iranian swimmer refused to swim because an Israeli was in the same pool.
Iran & other Muslim countries refuse to compete with Israel due to it's on-going battle with Palestinian militants
This is stupid!
While there are some concerns over human rights in Israel, it pales in comparison over the human rights violations in Iran & other Muslim countries!
We don't see USA athletes avoiding competition with China or Cuba! In fact, we embrace competing with those dictator-run countries!
I think that Iranian swimmer (& other like-minded athletes from Islamic countries) is too chicken to lose to an Israeli! What a coward!
6) the 2010 Winter Olympics is in Vancouver. However, in 2014, it will be in Sochi, Russia. That is very close to the Russian-Georgian border! Very big concerns, as it might be vulnerable to terrorism, as well as controversy over Russia's handling of the Georgian crisis!
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Enough of the controversies for now let's talk of other things
7) The next summer Olympics will be in London in 2012.
Here are some places where I think are possibilities for future Olympics
India -- this past Olympics highlighted China's rise as an economic power. The next most populated country -- India-- is also a rising economic power.
Plus, unlike China, India is a democracy. So it makes it a less controversial choice!
However, India doesn't have a strong sports program like China does.
China's athletic program is state-operated and basically recruits young children to train for various sports, ranging from gymnastics, swimming, track, basketball, table tennis, badminton, etc.
In India, however, most of the athletic focus is on cricket, a sport that isn't featured in the Olympics! The other sports have been basically ignored by Indian society, which is why India falls behind in the medal count, not just behind not just big countries (ie China, USA , Russia, etc), but also smaller countries with strong athletic programs like Jamaica, Kenya, Belarus, Cuba, Netherlands, South Korea and Ethiopia!
However, India's economic growth could possibly fund more athletic programs for children & teens in the future! After all, it wasn't long ago when China & other East Asian countries weren't as strong in the Olympics as they are now!
And bring cricket into the Olympics to give India a chance for Olympic success!
South Africa -- The Olympics has never been held in Africa, though the soccer World Cup will be held in South Africa in 2010! The International Olympic Committee can study how that World Cup is handled, learn from whatever mistakes and success happens there, and use that to plan a future Olympics in South Africa!
A South African Olympics can also bring a great narrative -- a country once oppressed by apartheid becoming a relatively stable democracy and now hosting the biggest stage in world sports!
South Africa has had success in international competitions in swimming, track, marathon, soccer & rugby.
We can add rugby to the Olympics, which could also help the South Pacific countries which also loves rugby
New Zealand -- just imagine if there's rugby in the Olympics, the Olympics held in New Zealand, and the haka being performed in the opening & closing ceremonies as well as before the 1st Olympic rugby match! The first Olympics in Polynesia! That would be something for the ages!
United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- This would be the first in the Muslim world. The UAE is a modernizing country with great facilities. That would be a great Olympic story line -- a land that was just desert, found oil, gotten rich and hosting the Olympics.
However, that would be a controversial choice for an Olympic site! Like China, the UAE is known for human rights violations. There is concerns over immigrant labor being abused, and the UAE is known to be anti-Israel. It is also vulnerable to Islamic terrorism!
So unless the Olympics want to repeat the controversy of Beijing, it might avoid the UAE at this time!
Egypt 0r Turkey -- not as prosperous as the UAE, but their government is not as anti-Isreal, so it's a more suitable site for a 1st Olympics in the Muslim world!
Brazil -- The Olympics already had it's 1st Latin American site in Mexico City in 1968. But never had it appeared in South America! Brazil would be a good place to start!
Indonesia - another possible 1st site in a Muslim country, but not located in the Middle East. Still, a 1st for Southeast Asia!
