By Allawi Ssemanda.
Less than a week to official opening of Beijing Winter Olympics, the USA and a few allies are still trying to discredit the much-anticipated games. Olympics which are supposed to be uniting the world and warming sports fans especially that the games are coming at a time when the world is still racing to arrest the world largest headache – covid-19 pandemic which has caused separation of millions of people from their loved ones and colleagues, the USA is playing politicising.
We ought to recall that Olympics games’ main objectives are to help build a peaceful and better world through sports practiced without discrimination and promoting togetherness as Olympic spirit, which calls for mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play, the USA continue its political gimmicks with intention of discrediting Beijing Winter Olympics with calls for the so-called diplomatic boycott.
Nonmatter how eloquent and diplomatic words Washington uses in their so far unsuccessful diplomatic boycott campaign, the reasons the USA is fronting are political and exposes how far Washington is willing go to force its hegemony on the world hiding under flimsy excuses.
Just days before president Biden announced Washington’s diplomatic boycott, during its 76th General Assembly held on 2nd December 2021, the UN adopted Olympic Truce Beijing 2022 resolution in which the General Assembly underscored contribution of sports to the promotion of peace and solidarity. The resolution dubbed “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal” which was adopted by consensus had an overwhelming support and was co-sponsored by 173 Member States of the UN General Assembly.
Therefore, the USA calling for boycott of Beijing winter Olympics after the UN has passed a resolution blessing the games which is supposed to unite the world is another example U.S politicians hardly follow their promises.
In his first Foreign Policy speech to Americans and the world made on 4th February 2021, President Joe Biden stressed importance of multinationalism and announced; “America is back.” One can argue that going against UN’s resolution co-sponsored by 173 UN member states, the U.S is not only against the spirit of Olympics but also multinationalism.
As observed by Australian rugby union player, Luke Burton, “sports speak an international language, it has the power to change you, and the world.” The USA should therefore not try to use its influence to use sports to sow seeds of hatred, it should use this “international language” to promote love, peace and harmony to ensure a world achieves a peaceful sharded future and peace Beijing is promoting.
Sadly, it looks like USA is determined to antagonise available opportunities to promote global peace and solidarity through sports.
Whether USA’s diplomats boycott Beijing Winter Olympics or otherwise, one can argue that the U.S has not only failed to live up to the spirit of Olympics but its influence over the world is also dwindling. Despite Washington’s calls for boycotts, over 2,900 athletes from over 90 countries expected to attend – a figure that is so close to 2,922 athletes who participated in South Korea’s Pyeongchang Olympics in 201 before Covid-19 pandemic, and higher than 2,800 athletes who participated in Sochi, Russia Olympics in 2014. Arguably, one can reason that the USA is losing its assumed influence and in sprit of Olympics should swallow their pride and apply for visas to attend the event or remain silent since their campaigns will not fail the event.
Nike’s vice president, Tinken Hatfield, taught us that “sports teaches you very important lessons that are many and verified. It’s probably the closest thing to the lessons we learned in fighting and warfare, about loyalty and growing up.” Maybe, it is the time the US learnt from history and grow.
Using 2008 Beijing Olympics, U.S politicians announced their boycott but the games were saucerful with about 100 world leaders, government officials, and royals attending the opening ceremony. Also, 70% of the world’s population (4.7 billion people) watched these games on television. To date, 2008 Olympic games which the U.S led to boycott is considered one of the most successful in Olympic games history.
While the U.S claims they have valid reasons for their failing diplomatic boycott campaign, it is clear that this is simply political gimmicks and false belief that the U.S thinks for the world. For example, in 1980, Washington boycotted Moscow Olympics arguing they were against the Soviet’s invasion of Afghanistan. Funny as it maybe, USA which boycotted 1980 Moscow Olympics accusing Soviet of invading Afghanistan, 21 years later, the U.S invaded the same country where U.S lead coalition forces are reported to have killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents. Julian Assange, an Australian journalist and WikiLeaks founder who reported these cases today is fighting extradition to the U.S where he is wanted for exposing USA crimes during that invasion.
Also, argue that the USA’s boycott is informed by rising cases of Covid-19 infections and death back home, and the need to keep the “Beijing Olympics boycott” in news home as a way of diverting voters’ attention. Arguably this helps politicians in the U.S not to explain to their electorates why they are failing to contain the pandemic which seems to be under control in China. US diplomats and politicians not attending the event will probably save them the possibility of being asked to borrow lessons from China on how to contain covid-19 should they visit. Though it is not often mentioned in news, many Americans know that China is doing well in containing the spreading of Covid virus including Omicron.
Allawi Ssemanda is a senior research fellow at Development Watch Centre, a Foreign Policy Think tank.