Sport, terror and faith

Sport, terror and faith
by editor Wong Yang

We don't wait to see marathoners struck by terror run as though it's the last 100m of the race. We don't wish to see journalists drop their earplugs upon being struck by the ridiculously-high levels of decibels emitted by the explosion. We certainly do not yearn to see a team of athletes hide in their vehicle riddled by bullets. But such unfortunate accidents do happen; the car bombs outside the Bernabeu before Madrid faced Barcelona in 2002, the attack on the Togolese national football team in 2010, and most recently, the Boston Marathon attack. 

The sports arena is a colossal one, and being large can have disadvantages. (overweight students are the butt of the jokes in class) Terrorists target sporting events to drive a message, to spread their belief. Millions tune in to these sports events broadcast live worldwide, and every tweet and every post about the event can be shared from one to another in a few seconds. And so, it's no wonder why terrorists would utilise such a "breaking news!" effect along with the power of fear to send home their message. The fact that sports competitions are given such great attention attract the attention of terrorists.


Sports competitions are a reminder of what humans are capable of, and with each competition, we celebrate the triumphs of athletes, for we see them as our own victories. When athletes break records and destroy their limits, we rejoice, for it shows that we have progressed as a human race. Because as science improves, athletes enjoy high-tech sportswear and new diet practices, and the athletes' record-breaking feats are a sign of this. But because of such jubilation in the air surrounding these competitions, terrorists are even more determined to silence the cheering with their attacks. They halt the party, and as we scream for help, we remember that we have just seen what humans are capable of. Yes, we are capable of inflicting fear on others with our acts of evil.

But even under such circumstances, sports still possess its way of uniting people. Supporters may aid fans of the rival team and a player may assist the referee that red-carded him two weeks ago because of their common identity as members of the football community. We witnessed the tributes paid to Fabrice Muamba after the player suffered a cardiac arrest in a game against Tottenham Hotspurs in March 2012. Fans from both teams gave Muamba a standing ovation as he left the pitch on stretchers, and players, as well as referees, sported t-shirts in tribute to Muamba before their matches. We also saw how Everton stood behind Liverpool when the Hillsborough Independent Panel revealed their findings on the 1989 tragedy, which the community again remembered last Monday.

After months marred by the revelations of Lance Armstrong's use of performance-enhancing drugs, the investigation of an alleged Singapore match-fixer, and evidence of several of Australia's athletes doping, the dirty side of sport fuelled by a "win at all costs" mentality once again came out of hiding.  And so I yearned for good sports. I yearned to see the side of sports I had come to love. Then as the two bombs in Boston shook the souls of those involved, and consequentially, of those watching, images of people rushing to help others circulated by social media came to my attention. I read the story of how cowboy hat-wearing hero Carlos Arredondo pushed debris away from victims of the explosion. It was because of these remarkable moments of humanity at its best that reaffirmed my faith in sports.