Corruption In Sports

Corruption has been a well known problem of sport and it has touched a lot of walks of sport life. Many people say that these days corruption in sports has escalated and although they see same solutions of this problem it stills very difficult to combat.

Our society is well informed about corruption in sports. People from teenagers to the elderly, men and women know that corruption in sports exists. A survey of seventeen people conducted at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake, in September 2001 revealed that knowledge about this issue comes mostly from TV, internet, and newspapers (Survey 2001). According to Eric Christiansen who is a former sports reporter for a local TV station in Nebraska, everybody knows about corruption in today’s sports but everybody is afraid to say something against it because it can pose them unnecessary problems (Christiansen, 2001).

The problem of corruption in sports is very universal. People are connected with corruption in many ways. For example, two popular sources ESPN and Associated Press say that the presidents of the American Boxing Federation and the French Ski Federation took bribes from sponsors (Graham 1999) (Associated Press [Annecy, France], 28 March 2000). In addition a captain of the South African Cricket National Team admitted to taking a bribe from bookmakers (Associated Press [Cape Town, South Africa], 25 May 2000). The list of countries, sports, and participants involved in athletic corruption is very long, but the list has a common thread which is desire for money and sometimes fame.

People don’t have too many ideas on how to combat corruption. Almost everyone says that restriction in the law can solve corruption in sports but reality shows that it isn’t as easy as it looks (Survey 2001). Almost every day we can read or hear new information about it. The legislative branches of many countries work all the time on new legislations to help combat the problem of corruption. The results are very weak.

According to Christiansen, the way to solve this problem is by teaching children that corruption is always bad and giving a good example of an anti-corrupt life (Christiansen, 2001). This is probably the most reasonable solution for destroying evil at its roots.

Finally, protecting the beautiful idea of rivalry through sport from corruption isn’t easy. People might know about corruption in sports. They may even have ideas about how to solve the problem. However, the problem of corruption is like a dragon. Cut off one head and seven more grow in its place. You can kill him only before his birth, when he is inside the egg.