Izinhloso Zama-Olympic Zisengozini

LAPHO uBaron Pierre de Coubertin ehlongoza ukuba kuvuselelwe ama-Olympic, wabeka izinhloso ezinhle. Empeleni, isiqubulo sanamuhla sama-Olympic, okuthiwa saqanjwa uCoubertin, sithi: “Into ebaluleke kunazo zonke eMidlalweni Yama-Olympic akukona ukuwina kodwa ukuba nengxenye . . . Into esemqoka akukona ukuthi unqobile kodwa ukuthi ulwe kahle.”

UCoubertin wayekholelwa ukuthi ukungenela umqhudelwano owakhayo kwakuyokwakha ubuntu obuhle, kulolonge ukuhluzeka kwengqondo futhi kuthuthukise ukuziphatha okuhle. Waze wakhuluma ‘nangenkolo yezemidlalo.’ Wayenomuzwa wokuthi ama-Olympic ayengafundisa abantu ukuphila ngokuthula.

Kodwa lapho uCoubertin efa ngo-1937, ayeseshabalele wonke amathemba okufinyelela lo mgomo. Le midlalo yayisike yahlehliswa kanye ngenxa yempi yezwe, futhi izwe lase lisengcupheni yenye futhi impi enkulu. Namuhla, izinhloso zama-Olympic zisengozini ngisho nakakhulu. Kungani kunjalo?

Ama-Olympic Nezidakamizwa

Sekungamashumi eminyaka abasubathi besebenzisa izidakamizwa ezinikeza amandla ukuze bakwazi ukuncintisana, futhi iMidlalo Yama-Olympic nayo iyathinteka kulolu hlupho. Empeleni, manje, eminyakeni engu-25 selokhu kwaqala ukuhlolelwa izidakamizwa okunzulu, ukusebenzisa kwabasubathi bama-Olympic izidakamizwa ezenqatshelwe kusaqhubeka kuyinkinga.

Abanye abasubathi basebenzisa ama-steroid ukuze baphumelele. Abanye basebenzisa imithi evuselela amandla. Ama-hormone okwenziwa anikeza umuntu izikhwepha, avame kakhulu phakathi kwabasubathi bebanga elifushane nabanye ngenxa yokuthi asiza abasubathi ukuba balulame ngokushesha ngemva kokuzivivinya ngamandla, futhi aqinisa imisipha. Kanti-ke, uhlobo olushintshwe izakhi lwe-erythropoietin luyisidakamizwa esithandwa yiningi labagijimi bebanga elide, ababhukudi nabashushuluza eqhweni ibanga elide ngenxa yokuthi lubaqinisa umzimba ngokukhuphula izinga umzimba okhiqiza ngalo amangqamuzana abomvu egazi.

Kuyaqondakala ukuthi kungani uDkt. Robert Voy, owayengumqondisi wokuhlolelwa izidakamizwa weKomiti Yama-Olympic yase-United States, ebiza abasubathi ngokuthi “bayizindawo zokwenza ucwaningo ezihamba ngezinyawo.” Uyanezela: “Ama-Olympic aseyisizinda sokuhlola imikhiqizo yososayensi, osokhemisi nodokotela abangenazimiso.” Kuthiwani ngokuhlolelwa izidakamizwa? UDkt. Donald Catlin, umqondisi wendawo ehlolela izidakamizwa e-United States, uthi: “Umsubathi oyiqili ofuna ukusebenzisa izidakamizwa usesebenzisa izinto esingenakukwazi ukuzibona lapho simhlola.”

Ukufumbathisa Nenkohlakalo

Njengoba kungamadolobha ambalwa angangenela ithuba lokuqokelwa ukuba kudlalelwe kuwo ama-Olympic, abanye benza noma yini ukuze bathole ithuba. Cishe eminyakeni emibili edlule, i-International Olympic Committee (IOC) yazithola ingene shí ehlazweni. Izinsolo zokufumbathiswa imali engafinyelela emaRandini ayizigidi ezingu-2,8 eyanikezwa amalungu e-IOC phakathi nokuqokwa kweSalt Lake City ukuze kudlalelwe kuyo iMidlalo Yasebusika Ka-2002 zenza zangabazeka izimiso zalabo abahilelekile ekukhetheni izindawo zomncintiswano.

Ngokuvamile umehluko phakathi kokubonisa umoya wokungenisa izihambi nokufumbathisa okusobala awubonakali njengoba amadolobha anethemba lokuqokwa ebanikeza izipho zikanokusho labo abakhetha amadolobha omqhudelwano. Amalungu angaba ngu-20 e-IOC ayethinteka ehlazweni laseSalt Lake City, futhi ekugcineni ayisithupha axoshwa. Uma kubhekwa iMidlalo Ka-2000 yase-Australia, yonke imizamo yokulondoloza isithunzi salesi senzakalo yashabalala lapho umongameli weKomiti Yama-Olympic yase-Australia evuma ukuthi: “Asiphumelelanga [ukuqokwa] ngenxa yobuhle bedolobha nezinkundla zemidlalo esinazo nje kuphela.”

Ukuphila ngokunethezeka kwamanye amalungu aphethe e-IOC kuye kwabhebhethekisa izinsolo. Umphathi ongasekho waseSwitzerland we-International Rowing Federation, uTommy Keller, wake wathi ngokubona kwakhe ezinye izikhulu zezemidlalo zibheka ama-Olympic njengendlela “yokwanelisa igqabho.” Wanezela ukuthi kubonakala sengathi isisusa “ukuphishekela imali nokufinyelela imigomo yobugovu.”

Ezentengiselwano Ezinamandla

Akekho ongaphika ukuthi ama-Olympic anemali esabekayo. Ngokuvamile, aye adonsa izibukeli eziningi zethelevishini nezikhangiso ezingenisa izindodla zemali, okuye kwenza ukuba ukuxhaswa kwale midlalo kube yithuluzi elikhulu lezentengiselwano.

Cabangela ama-Olympic ango-1988, lapho izinkampani zomhlaba wonke ezingu-9 zakhokhela i-IOC ingqikithi yamaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-700 ukuze zithole amalungelo okusakaza emhlabeni wonke. IMidlalo Yasehlobo Ka-1996 e-Atlanta yangenisa imali engamaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-2,8 ngenxa yamalungelo afanayo. Futhi lokho akuhlanganisi amalungelo okusebenzisa ithelevishini. Isiteshi esithile se-TV saseMelika sakhokha imali engaphezu kwamaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-24 ukuze ithole amalungelo okusakaza iMidlalo Yama-Olympic phakathi kuka-2000 no-2008, futhi kwabikwa ukuthi enkathini eyiminyaka emine, abaxhasi abangu-11 bomhlaba wonke kuyodingeka bakhokhe amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-581 ngamunye. Ngakho, abanye abantu baye baveza umbono wokuthi nakuba ama-Olympic ake amelela izinhloso ezinhle zomuntu, namuhla le midlalo imane iyithuba lokwenza imali eliveza ukuhaha komuntu.

Konakalaphi?

Abanye ochwepheshe bathi inhlekelele yama-Olympic ihlehlela ezenzakalweni ezimbili ezivelele ezenzeka ekuqaleni kwawo-1980. Esokuqala kwakuyisinqumo sokunikeza izinhlangano zemidlalo ezizimele emhlabeni wonke ilungelo lokunquma ukuthi yibaphi abasubathi abafanelekela ukungenela ama-Olympic. Nakuba i-IOC yayishaye umthetho wokuba kuhlanganyele izimfundamakhwela kuphela, lezi zinhlangano zaqala ukuvumela abasubathi abangochwepheshe ukuba baqhudelane emidlalweni yabo yama-Olympic. Kodwa abasubathi abangochwepheshe bafika nemibono yabo yobuchwepheshe. Ukumane ‘ulwe kahle’ akuyilethi imali, futhi ngokushesha ukuwina kwaba yiwona mgomo obalulekile. Akumangalisi ukuthi lokho kuye kwabhebhethekisa ukusetshenziswa kwezidakamizwa ezinikeza amandla.

Isenzakalo sesibili esivelele senzeka ngo-1983 lapho i-IOC ifuna ukusizakala ngalokho uchwepheshe wayo wezokukhangisa akubiza ngokuthi “uphawu oluyigugu olungakathintwa nhlobo emhlabeni”—amasongo ophawu lwama-Olympic. Lokhu kwakhuthaza isimo sezentengiselwano ezingenamingcele esiye saba isici esiphawula ama-Olympic. UJason Zengerle waphawula: “Naphezu kwenkulumo yokuthuthukisa ukuthula nokuhlanganisa abantu bomhlaba wonke . . . , ama-Olympic awahlukile neze . . . kunoma yisiphi esinye isenzakalo sezemidlalo sokubukisa.” Nokho, ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi izinhloso ezahlongozwa abagqugquzeli bama-Olympic azinakufinyelelwa?

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AMAQINISO MAYELANA NAMA-OLYMPIC

→ Uphawu lwama-Olympic luneziyingi ezinhlanu, ezimelela izwekazi lase-Afrika, i-Asia, i-Australia, iNyakatho neNingizimu Melika kanye neYurophu. Zihlanganisiwe ukuze zimelele ubuhlobo bezemidlalo babo bonke abantu.

→ Isiqubulo sama-Olympic sithi Citius, Altius, Fortius—okuyisiLatini esisho ukuthi “ngokushesha, ngezinga eliphakeme, ngesibindi.” Enye indlela yokusihumusha ethi “ngokushesha, ngezinga eliphakeme, ngamandla” yaqanjwa uthisa othile waseFrance.

→ Ilangabi lama-Olympic lalivutha e-altare likaZeus phakathi nemidlalo yasendulo. Namuhla, ubhaqa luthungelwa yimisebe yelanga e-Olympia, bese luyiswa enkundleni yemidlalo.

→ Isiko lama-Olympic sekuyizinkulungwane zeminyaka likhona. IMidlalo Yama-Olympic yokuqala eyabikwa yayingo-776 B.C.E., kodwa abaningi bathi umsuka wale midlalo uhlehlela emuva okungenani eminyakeni engamakhulu amahlanu ngaphambi kwalokho.

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AP Photo/Eric Draper

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INDAWO YAMA-OLYMPIC YASESYDNEY

Kusukela ngo-September 1993, lapho iSydney iqokelwa ukubamba iMidlalo Yama-Olympic ka-2000, leli dolobha belimatasa lizilungiselela ukwamukela izivakashi ezingamashumi ezinkulungwane. Kuye kwenziwa umsebenzi omkhulu wokuhlanza indawo, kwakhiwa izinkundla ezisezingeni eliphakeme, futhi kwaguqulwa izindawo ezindala zokulahla imfucumfucu zaba amaxhaphozi, amapaki nezizalo zemifula, ezinendawo ehlanganisa amahektare angu-760.

ISydney Olympic Village, eyakhelwe ukuhlalisa bonke abasubathi nezikhulu, iyindawo enkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni esebenzisa amandla elanga ukuze iphehle ugesi. ISuperDome—isikhungo sezemidlalo nokuzijabulisa esivalekile esikhulu kunazo zonke eNingizimu Nenkabazwe—inemishini esebenza ngemisebe yelanga emikhulu kunayo yonke e-Australia, futhi iphehla ugesi ngamandla angabangeli amagesi angcolisa umkhathi.

Ngenhla nje kweSuperDome kubonakala izinsika eziphakeme eziwuxhaxha zenkundla i-Olympic Stadium. Yakhiwa ngemali engu-R3 000 000 000 futhi iyinkundla yama-Olympic enkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni, enezihlalo ezingu-110 000. Izindiza ezine ama-Boeing 747 kungapakwa enye eceleni kwenye ngaphansi kwekhothamo elikhulu lale nkundla! Phezulu kunothayela okhanyayo ovikela izibukeli emisebeni yelanga ebukhali. U-Alan Patching, umphathi omkhulu wale nkundla, uthi: “Ngezinyanga ezimbalwa ngo-2000, le ndawo iyofana nenkaba ye-Australia.” Wabe esebikezela: “Ngemva kwalokho, iyoba yisakhiwo sodumo, njenge-Opera House.”

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UBaron Pierre de Coubertin

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Culver Pictures

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AP Photo/ACOG, HO