Between the seriousness of sport and the absurdity of politics

It is a paradox of the highest order that politics is now far more evident on playing fields and running tracks than in the world of politics itself. Any form of competition inevitably creates winners, losers and competing loyalties, which in many cases can give way to conspiracy and violence. Even without delving into the history of the ancient civilizations that gave rise to the philosophy of sport as we know it today, including the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, there has always been ample evidence of the close relationship between politics and sport.