Yesterday was the first day of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. I had set my alarm clock so that I would wake up in time for the CBC coverage of the Opening Ceremony. We have been looking forward to this event for a long time … with a bit of nostalgia mixed in too. Our Canadian city, Calgary, Alberta, hosted the Winter Olympics in 1988 and the whole city adopted the event as our very own greeting to the world.
I wonder what the long-term effect will be for Russia. Will it be a positive or negative experience for them, and for the world? Even in 1988, the cost of preparing for the games was “over the top”, but with a well-chosen and brilliant Planning Committee, our city was in the ‘black’ after the games. That certainly wasn’t the case for Montreal, PQ when they hosted the Games. They have been trying to “pay off the debt” for years. Yesterday, we heard that Russia has spent the most amount of money EVER, preparing for these Games, and from small reports, much of it has been placed on the backs of the poor and underprivileged people. In my opinion, this and the ‘worship’ of sports needs to come to an end.
Perhaps a positive note would be improved cooperation and tolerance, not just in the sports world, but in relationships between nations. Now that the world has the opportunity to have a peek inside Russia, wouldn’t it be nice to gain some understanding and appreciation of their country and their people? The past is the past … for all countries! Can they forgive our country for deeds of the past, and can we forgive them?
I look forward to your comments …
Tags: Olympics Calgary Sports
