The Olympic movement is about politics.
The opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing is less than a month away with the event scheduled to start on February 4th. There is no guarantee that will happen because of the Omicron variant spreading quickly around the globe. This international event was scheduled in 2015 and China ended up with the Games because almost no country with the exception of Kazakhstan wanted the 2022 Winter Olympics. China was awarded the Games and with that has come all sorts of criticism and scrutiny of China’s human rights record including the treatment of the Uyghurs and the seven decades long problem with Tibet. There is also the dispute with Taiwan which started in 1949 and the handling of the COVID-19 situation in terms of the virus’s possible start in China. The United States is leading a diplomatic boycott of the Games but there will be no athletes boycott by the United States, Canada, England or Japan. The National Hockey League barred its players from participating in the Beijing Olympics because of the North American Omicron outbreak.
The President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach is aware of the international problems but Bach is trying his best to deflect world realities claiming the IOC is not involved in global politics although his thought is not true. The Olympic movement is all about politics. Bach contends, “the Olympic Games stand above any conflict.” He adds that the Games are “beyond all political disputes. We are looking forward to the successful Beijing 2022 Winter Games, and we have great confidence to build on our experience that we will stage and a safe and secure Olympic Winter Games for everybody. The support of the international community for these Winter Games is very evident and is very much welcome.” Except there is limited support but the Games must go on.
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