The Olympics are considered the leading international sporting events, with thousands of athletes from more than 200 countries taking part. While some may question the role of the Games and claim that holding these competitions is a waste of money, I believe that they have indeed brought people closer worldwide.
The Olympics create peace between countries because the host country invites other nations to join the Games, where the world unites with the best athletes in the world, representing the flag, culture, history, and beliefs of their homeland. Today, participating in the Olympic Games is high on many countries’ agendas. For the host nation, it is a great chance to showcase its social values to the world. As to the visitors and local populace, they are offered the perfect opportunity to communicate with people from a whole variety of backgrounds, regardless of their skin colors and races. People say that sporting events like the Olympics are one of the few occasions when people are willing to learn to understand and appreciate each other over differences and disputes, and therefore it is widely acknowledged that they are beneficial to humanity.
However, the costs of hosting the Olympics have skyrocketed, while the economic benefits are not guaranteed. This has led to the controversy over whether it is worthwhile to hold them. For example, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics faced unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing the games’ already record-setting investment. Tokyo is not alone in facing a multibillion-dollar bill after the Olympics. Other former host cities are still struggling with debt, leading some candidates for future Games to withdraw their bids. Therefore, the International Olympic Committee should take this issue into serious consideration and provide methods to lighten the financial burden of staging such big events.
To conclude, I believe in the unifying power of the Olympic Games to bring the world together in peaceful competitions, and in the meanwhile, the economics of hosting the Olympic Games should be taken seriously.
