The quadrennial confluence of the world’s finest athletes, the Olympics, is beginning in Paris from Friday. The latest edition does not have the constricting environment that preceded ‘Tokyo 2020’, held in 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, this arrives at a time of global churn. While Russia remains banned from the Games due to its war moves, Israel will be present despite some dissenting voices over the manner in which it has dealt with the Palestinian issue. Some individual Russians will compete under a neutral banner but the nation will miss team events. The Olympics, with its competitive spirit, will offer a level playing field featuring countries like the United States and China at one end and an island-country like Fiji at the other. Being part of the event bequeaths the title Olympian to athletes fortunate to qualify for this big bash, and winning a medal only further enhances that halo. Paris, and France at large, will be tested over the next fortnight as the Olympics, even if it vests the host with soft power, often affects the economy; indeed, there was some resistance emanating from the banks of the Seine.
The U.S., China, Japan, Great Britain, Australia, Germany and France are the behemoths chasing glory. However, the Games is also about the lone athlete dishing out magic and garnering attention, as Usain Bolt did in the past. Veteran Rafael Nadal and the latest tennis prince, Carlos Alcaraz, getting excited to represent Spain in tennis is another glimpse of the eternal allure of the Olympics. That the Games has even incorporated breakdancing is a pointer to the entertainment industry finding a larger imprint while lines between sport and art constantly blur. With 204 countries, including India, besides neutral athletes and a refugee team, jostling for a place on the victor’s podium, the Olympics provides a space for smaller units to carve a niche and stun bigger opponents. Morocco defeating Argentina in a tempestuous football game has already added zest to the Games. Above all, the Olympics grants hope and redemption, and for a strife-ridden country like Afghanistan, the event also serves as a diversion. The 1972 Munich edition marred by a terror strike on the Israeli contingent remains a harrowing memory and in a world on the boil, security will be a concern for the organising committee. That some members of the Australian women’s water polo squad tested positive for COVID-19 is also a reality check while all eyes are on Paris.
