Bad politics stands in way of sports

Ice hockey players practice for the Olympics at a stadium in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province on Jan. 22. / Yonhap

By Park Hyong-ki

If there is conflict, there is drama.

And there is a whole lot of drama going on here in sports related to the PyeongChang Olympics.

But it has become a political drama rather than one of sports ― not a rivalry among athletes but one among the politics of the liberals, conservatives plus the two Koreas.

To a lot of people, sports is entertainment and business. Companies will spend tons of money to endorse and sponsor games and athletes just so that they can promote their brands in the instant seconds between matches.

Athletes will sweat and fight hard to win not only a medal but also that sponsorship so they can play the sport they love without having to worry about putting food on their table.

It is a multibillion dollar business, but it is the athletes' business, or anyone who is willing to die hard and become a modern-day gladiator for the love of the game.

People love watching their favorite athletes play their hearts out and hear their stories of overcoming obstacles for their dreams. That is the sports drama all love to see.

And bad politics is getting in the way too much. When politics gets involved, it becomes messy and ugly.

PyeongChang, unfortunately, has not really gotten any good publicity from day one.

There was a budget conflict between the central and regional governments and the political scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye's close associate Choi Soon-sil.

Now, it is being used as some sort of platform for the two Koreas to negotiate the terms for North Korea to participate in the Games. It is for peace and prosperity on the Korean peninsula, the government says.

That's fine. The true spirit of the Olympics is about promoting peace and friendship. It does not care about nationality, the color of one's skin or eyes.

So, let the athletes do their part and promote peace in their own way through the games with fierce competition and camaraderie.

The political affair is becoming too much for the public to bear.

With smear campaigns and North Korea's unpredictable nature, only the athletes are getting hurt and being asked to sacrifice for their country.

The female ice hockey team, for one, will have to sacrifice as the South Korean prime minister mentioned it has never earned a gold medal.

It will need to have some of its players who trained their hearts out sit on the bench and let North Korean players play on the "integrated" team.

That is like telling the pumped up, beefed up young gladiators who are ready for the battle of their life to go back home. These young players most probably have spent a lot of time and their own money to get the equipment and training under harsh conditions with very little state support to get where they are right now.

The government did not even consider consulting the team before it made that ultimatum. That's Korean politics, or the prime example of bad negotiating.

Then again, the public seriously doubts whether politicians truly understand what sports is, other than using it to gain their own self-interest.

Some say it is "killing motivation," and motivation is everything in sports.

The North has every right to participate and enjoy the event like all the other countries. Nobody has stopped its athletes from competing fairly and equally like the athletes on other national teams. But many ask: Is this the moral way for the two Koreas to do it? Is this good sportsmanship?

It is not only ice hockey that has been affected by bad politics, but other sports like speed skating, bobsledders, volleyball, boxing and weightlifting; and the list goes on and on.

The female volleyball team had to celebrate eating inexpensive Kimchi soup after winning because it did not have any money. Viktor Ahn left Korea for Russia because of a conflict within the speed skating association. Bobsledders were pressured to use a Hyundai Motor sled or risk being questioned about their national loyalty.

Even though Kim Yuna won a medal for figure skating, the situation remains the same: young skaters still have to search for an ice rink so they can practice. Japan provides its skaters, including Mao Asada, exclusive rinks where they can practice.

It is no wonder athletes, and even coaches here seek to find opportunities abroad.

Politics has its hands too deep in sports, as well as in movies and broadcasting.

There is a conflict, but not an entertaining and dramatic one as people hope for.

And they hope for life-changing experiences through sports by watching and following their favorite athletes raising the bar and pushing themselves to the peak of their mental and physical limits.

That is the show people want to see at the Olympics. And there is a lot of business in that, which many fail to see.

Companies like Nike, Adidas and Reebok exploit that human spirit to sell their shoes and clothing, and movies about sports usually make big box office sales.

Bad politics should no longer stand in the way of these young athletes pursuing their dreams.

If politicians can't help make that happen, then they should be the ones sitting on the bench, and just enjoying the show.