On Boxers and terriers

A sports arena is nothing but a surrogate battleground, where primitive or baser instincts to kill and maim are vented out and channelized in a more sanitized form.

But the degree of refinement varies and some sports have not quite got out of their simian roots. In this category, I would count boxing and wrestling, which are barbaric at worst and moronic at best. I liken these events to bull fighting or the spectacle of Christians being fed to the lions in Roman times. Why these should be included as events in Olympics is more than I can understand. And, why we should make such a big deal over the bronze medals in these events, I can’t fathom.

I do realize that I am wrong in saying this. I still say that these events are stupid, but where I was wrong was in asking why these should be included in the Olympics. The Olympics is a grand ritual, and like in all rituals, you don’t question what goes into a ritual. The real objective of the Games is to promote harmony among sporting nations and to celebrate the human spirit that seeks to scale new heights.

So, it doesn’t matter what events actually go into the Olympics. It could be slingshots, carrom, snakes and ladders, hide and seek, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, anything. The grand ritual must be played out once in four years and, hopefully, bring out the best that human beings have to offer.

Note: My views on boxing and wrestling are.....my views. You are welcome to enjoy and patronize these sports, as well as to hold the view that the games I like- such as cricket, tennis and badminton- are juvenile.