Diversity of International Sports Events
Major sporting events occur either once a year or after every four years. There are many sports activities in the world, including FIFA World Cup for soccer, World Cup for Rugby, and the Olympic Games; these are the most anticipated games, and they are played at an interval of four years (Tomlinson p.742). These games can also be categorized in other different ways. For instance, mega-events attract large crowds of people while also impacting the host environment and population. The reason why they are termed mega-events is that they comprise many different games and also attract huge audiences around the world. Mega events tend to be a collective of occasions, and their importance will vary depending on the people and culture following the proceedings. Special events are characterized by attracting worldwide visitors and improving the tourist sector. They have a significant economic impact and develop the image of the host country, and they also attract global attention. Hallmark events are events that take place in the exact location over and over again. Wimbledon Tennis Championship, Indianapolis 500, and London Marathon are examples of Hallmark events.
Some sports are connected to celebrations, festivals, and heritage. Festivals can be found when the stakeholders, for various reasons, need to minimize the competitive characteristics of an event ranging from small community youth-based events to mega-events like the Olympic Games. A sporting event can be termed as festive when the spectators food the streets to celebrate good results. For instance, after the Spanish team won the world cup, people lined themselves on the streets of Madrid. The parading is also an event (Eissa and Al Refai p.379). There is a broader way of classifying the sports events; they can either be indoor or outdoor depending on the venue. They could be professional or amateur subjects on the organizing committee. An event can either be for the spectators, participants, or both, and contingent on the scope, it can either be international, national, or regional. Finally, a sporting event can be a single, multisport, or festival sport where the youth hold a celebration involving many sporting activities.
Impact of the International Sporting events
Hosting international sports have both positive and negative impact on the host. They either impact the economic sector, environment, tourism industry, and also political sector. Sporting events raise the profile of the host city or country since there is an assurance of recognition. Recognition attracts tourists and major business investors. Preparing for the events comes with the benefit of long-term investments. This is because the host cities tend to improve their infrastructure and transport to cater to the visitors (Rothengatter p.30). The creation of jobs is another impact on the host because the several years of preparation have given many people employments, for example building new or renovating the existing stadiums. Sporting events also promote enthusiasm and short-lived economic benefits. The authority on the seat while hosting the also gains influence. It is a legacy that most political leaders wish to leave because of the prestigious gain. Citizens may also give the political leader a second chance to rule as a benefit for allowing the sports event.
Some negativities also come with hosting the events; for example, the preparation capital needed is high. New stadiums with bigger sizes need to be built, or renovation of the present arenas is mandatory. Some facilities are made, but they can only be helpful for the few weeks of the sporting event. Some countries have changed the Olympic facilities into affordable housing, but some which were unable to maintain the plan for the Olympic legacy have been left with enormous unused stadiums (Schnitzer and Haizinger p.442). Sporting activities can also be a tool for negative publicity. Because of the corruption and cost overturn Winter Olympics has received negative publicity. The poor state of the facilities in Delhi also received negative publicity during the Commonwealth games. Sports can lead to insecurity, and so higher levels of security have to be implemented. Citizen movement in these cities is usually restricted. Local businesses may fall because major adverts are always about the upcoming game.
The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro
These sports events happened in Rio de Janeiro from 5th August to 21st August 2016. It was the 28th event to occur since the modern Olympic Games started on 6th April 1896. That was the first occasion the Olympics were hosted in South America in the winter or summer. In 2009, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose Rio over Madrid, Chicago, and Tokyo to host the event (Ichii p.107). This particular event had more major issues than any other Olympic games in history. Their preparations were costly, and everything ran behind schedule. Traveling in the crime-riddled city was a worry for the coaches, athletes, and tourists. Prominent golfers such as Rory Mcllroy and Jordan Spieth had to withdraw from the event due to the Zika Virus outbreak. The waterways in Rio were polluted and filled with sand. The World Health Organization suggested that the Athletes shower immediately after leaving the site and avoid swallowing the water while using it, while their mouths and any wounds or opening were to be covered.
Less than fifty days before the game started, the authorities in Rio de Janeiro announced an emergency situation in the country. This declaration gave the directions for sharing vital public services and allowed the state to utilize the national emergency funds. The event started on time despite all those hitches, though there were also minor anomalies in the two weeks period that the games were conducted. There were two hundred and five national participating committees with 11,000 participants competing in forty-two sports. New sports such as rugby sevens and golf were added (Tucker p.639). Rio also hosted some ten teams from the war-riddled nations, of which they had no permanent residence at the beginning of the competitions. These Olympics were also highlighted with the accomplishments of the famed sprinter from Jamaica, Usain Bolt, and America’s most outstanding swimmer Michael Phelps.
Rio offered the best environment for these games, with its superb and most beautiful cities being ranked among the best globally. The village layout was compact for supreme suitability, connected by a high-performance conveyance ring; the participation grounds were clustered in four locations. The four venues included Copacabana, Maracana, Deodoro, and Barra. Teams could reach all the locations in less than ten minutes, while others could not take more than twenty-five minutes. There were thirty-four competition sites; eight were permanently constructed, seven of them were to be demolished after the games, and the other nine were built as permanent legacy locations. The Rio Games have promoted and emphasized sport due to the spectacular setting of the city and its aspiration to elevate the games to higher levels (Beal p.98). In addition, Rio 2016 offered a chance to provide the country with more significant future opportunities – a chance to intensify Rio de Janeiro’s transition into an even larger international city.
Russia’s Steroid Scandal
The use of steroids in Russia has been a continuous behavior that has seen many Olympic champions banned from competing, and the occurrence has also denied Russia many medals. This is because more than two hundred Russian competitors have been found using Steroids (Remmel). Russia using steroids is different from other countries because the state is responsible for supplying the substance among its athletes. The World Anti-Doping Agency banned the country from participating in all events for four years due to systemic usage and attempts to hinder investigations by manipulating electronic data (Kavussanu, Hatzigeorgiadis, Elbe, and Ring p.197). The court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the ban to two years in 2020 owing to Russia’s petition.
Nonetheless, Russia is eligible to compete in intercontinental competitions underneath a neutral banner and title competitors. The IOC decided to re-examine the stored urine of Russian players of 2008 on 15th March 2016. They decided to use sophisticated techniques to determine any foreign compounds that may not have been identified at the moment. They focused on specific countries and sports, including the pending participants in the Rio games.
Aside from the Olympics, Maria Sharapova, the tennis star, and Alexander Povetkin, the heavyweight boxer, both of Russia, also failed the Meldonium drug test in May of that year. Roman Eremeniko, their soccer player, also tested positive for steroids at the end of 2016. In 2015 out of the samples taken, 643 were found to be positive with steroids (Raspe p.50). The study committee also claimed that it was a small part of the overall inquiry because access to Russian documents was difficult. Athletics, swimming, canoeing, skiing, soccer, and rowing competitors contributed to the results.
Regarding these findings, the World Anti-Doping Code recommended the country be barred from competing in the Summer Olympics of 2016. On 21st July 2016, sixty-eight Russian athletes and their Olympic Committee appealed the decision with the Court of Arbitration for Sports, which denied the submission. The IOC voted to refuse accreditation to Russian sports department officials and all other bodies involved in the analysis for the 2016 Summer Olympics. They decided to begin a re-evaluation of Russian competitors at the Sochi Olympics and ask sporting partnerships to find alternative venues for the most significant events that had been assigned to Russia.
In October 2016, Vitally Mutko was appointed to the rank of Russian sports minister despite allegations that he had concealed a drug infringement. To curb this doping, in November, Russia approved a law against drugging that targeted the coaches (Plotkin and Gill p.637). Berlinger initiated new sample bottles for drugging, where someone claimed that Russians are always ahead of the cheating and that a system such as Russia’s cannot be avoided. Just like the social disgrace of any drug abuse, in Russia, there is a double stigma if one is discovered of using steroids; thus, people are afraid of being branded as drug addicts and cheaters. This has hindered the addicts from seeking assistance, making it challenging for the stakeholders to know where they should offer their support. McLaren reported that, following the cover-up by the Russian sports minister, many participants, including competitors in the summer and winter Olympics, benefited. This meant that the players used the drugs before going to competitions. Russia had no serviceable drug-testing intervention, thus making it impossible for them to be reinstated according to the IAAF task force.
Apart from affecting the health of the users, steroids also have a significant impact on the economy of the country. For example, when Russia was barred from competing in any sport, they forfeited all medals and money earned by their athletes. Stakeholders have found alternate venues for major sporting competitions other than Russia (Zagidullin p.714). The nation could not prosper from higher taxes, a short-term boost to the economy, or the growth of jobs. It is also a blemish for any government and country to be accused of drug use. Some heavyweight lifters were given the drugs without their consent; competitors finding out about them being given drugs without their permission would lead them to question their trust in their coaches (Remmel). Lack of confidence in their trainers would make most players pull back and stop playing in fear of their health. Lack of players affects a country’s participation in competitions.
Russia was banned from participating in competitions, meaning that some honest players were also be affected by the policy. Some athletics being their primary source of income, meaning that they had to look for other alternatives, which caused most of them to struggle and eventually lose hope. Some people believe that creating associations and agencies to deal with drug abuse is a waste of time. Such services should be put to better use in ways that benefit the economy. The use of these medications causes reproductive problems, which has an economic effect. The government risks losing resources by attempting to treat anything that should have been avoided. Looking for potential hosts for a sporting event is just another example of resources being wasted on something that can be regulated if stakeholders in both athletics and the state as a whole work together to reduce substance use in Russia.
Stakeholders and their Roles
Stakeholders are individuals whose actions, attitudes, and support influences the success of sports teams. Sport organizations use stakeholder analysis to plan on communication programs for team members. Participants are the essential stakeholders in sports because, without them, other investors will have no role. Unprofessional players have a high concentration in the clubs, teams, and trainers’ willingness to support them in attaining their objectives (Singh p.23). Skilled players depend on their clubs’ financial performance to give them generous incentives for their activities. Troupes and competitors at all phases look to a well-regulated sport to offer them chances to play professionally, particularly in contact sports, while also being assured of proper medical attention in case of injuries. The games governing bodies and organizations all aim to attract new entrants to their sports or teams. The American Board on Workout, for instance, acknowledges and promotes sport’s physical and social benefits.
Audiences, even though they play minor roles, have an impact on the financial performance of every team. Clubs involved in various sports want their games to be watched by a large number of people. Clubs will also generate revenue from sponsors through permit and event purchases, tickets, team produce sales, and membership donations (Popp, Harrolle, and Wells p.170). Teams build affiliations with fans by broadcasting grades, hosting engagement events where fans can see players, and facilitating conversation on the team’s website. Fans also boost the morale of the players as they play by cheering and inspiring them to succeed. The governance is also important since it standardizes the events of the players, other sponsors such as coaches and attendees.
Governing bodies establish and review competition laws, and they also have a regulatory structure in place to manage clubs and other sporting organizations. Governing bodies will petition politicians on behalf of associations to secure financial support for their sport, as well as discuss media rights and sponsorship deals (Batty and Gee p.170). Sporting teams from unions, ruling parties, and associations with prominent people must collect funds and find other means to finance their organizations.
Professional athletes look to sports clubs for commercial sponsorship or endowment capital to help pay for their training, coaching, and other expenses. To generate income, teams form alliances with potential owners or stockholders. They also seek marketable sponsorship or partnerships with game presenters in order to boost revenue. Members of a party affect sport in a multitude of ways. Teams aim to recruit members of the community to participate as attendees, spectators, and volunteers (The Exhibition p.32). They promote relationships by spreading information to the public, organizing events for parents, schools, and stakeholders, and taking part in community advancement. The municipal government is a significant patron for clubs that are planning new sports services or big events, particularly if they are in secluded areas. For example, a large-scale highway activity may cause movement congestion in a neighborhood, while a proposed new pitch in a residential area can cause space problems, unwelcome sound, and other forms of irritation. Communities are also the primary source for all stakeholders, with the participants included.
Contemporary Issues in International Sports Management
The inability of stakeholders to predict the future is a major problem and a contemporary issue among the management of international sports. The world is constantly changing, and as a result, the sports industry faces the challenge of predicting the next major occurrence or concept that will captivate the audience (Pradhan p.20). When one combines this problem with technological advancements, it is evident that specific sports teams and stadiums will still be at odds. For example, a venue can catch up with the times only to discover that some new and different development has emerged and one that will need adjustments. Although it is virtually impossible to predict the future, the sports industry will find it worthwhile to research patterns and try to predict what will be expected in the coming days (Sun and Gloor p.17). Though that is a problem, technology has helped solve most of the issues.
Through technology, weather can be predicted so that plans can be made accordingly. In the Beijing Olympics, they broke the clouds that seemed to possess rain in them, another way technology is helping in weather. Through technology, there are improved stadiums and other sports venues (Inoue, Matsuoka, Yoshida, and Kuramasu p.55). Carpeted grounds for athletes and footballers will reduce the chances of them getting hurt. Improved viewing experiences while at the venue and at home too. Improved cameras for broadcasting and screens located everywhere in the field so that those strategically positioned can also view. Technology has aided in coaching and diet; circumnavigating a track and carrying masses is no longer the main way to reduce the weight in our body sessions (Bodewits). The decent people at GNC and other traders have made exercises more actual and fruitful. Coaching amenities have also started opening up all over the nation, giving efficient technology in exploiting one’s talents through hard work and distinctive coaching techniques.
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