When it comes to international sports, one of the biggest is the FIFA World Cup, which is held every four years. The FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest and most watched events in the world of sport. People from different countries fly over to the host country to cheer for their teams. I have never attended a World Cup game, but I have watched so many matches on television and streaming platforms and one thing I can say is that the World Cup brings happiness, especially to the teams who win. If you have ever watched a World Cup game, you will notice how they use the best stadiums to make the matches memorable to everyone present. The host country goes great lengths to ensure that everything works smoothly and doing so requires a lot of money.
A lot of money goes into international sports and this isn’t even limited to the World Cup. Millions of dollars go into other international sports like the Olympics. As I mentioned earlier, the FIFA World Cup happens every four years and every four years, a different country hosts the event. About 3 years ago, Qatar hosted the World Cup. You would be surprised to know that Qatar reportedly spent $200 billion preparing for the event. I can’t even start to calculate how much $200 billion is in my currency. Preparing for the biggest sports events is a lot. Qatar spent a lot of money building new and beautiful stadiums, roads, ensuring that the reservations for players and visitors are top-notch. Now, the big question is: is it really worth it? Are international sports a waste of resources?
Come to think of it, $200 billion would go a long way in feeding hungry and homeless families in many countries. A few days ago, I came across a video of a family living under a tent. That tent is just an old wooden stuff with a trampoline used to cover it, but to that family, that tent is their home. They barely eat good meals and even go for a long time without eating. $200 billion if well spent would go a long way in eradicating poverty. But does that mean the World Cup and other international sports is a waste of resources? Should the money spent on sports be used for something else?
Yes, it is true that the billions spent on hosting international sports like the World Cup could be directed to other aspects like fighting poverty. But that doesn’t mean international sports are a waste of resources. In my opinion, it all narrows down to how the country chooses to reinvest the money. Let’s use Qatar as a case study. They reportedly spent $200 billion preparing for the last World Cup. However, they definitely made more than that from sponsorships, advertisements, hotels, and even tickets. The money generated can be used to build schools, hospitals, orphanage homes and a lot more. So, yes, these sports are not a waste of resources. In the end, it all boils down to how the profits are being used.
Also, the importance of these international sports cannot be overemphasized. They bring joy, happiness and a lot of beautiful moments that will last for generations. The last World Cup was three years ago and since that time, so many people have been looking forward to the next big event, and in a matter of months, the World Cup will come knocking again. It is beautiful how different countries showcase their culture. For example, Nigerians wear their cultural attires, they beat drums and sing their songs. Other countries also do the same.
In conclusion, international sports are beautiful. Taking them away and spending the money on other areas is not the best way to go about things. Instead, more energy should be focused on how the profits generated are used for the good of the people.
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Thanks for reading.
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