Sporting
legacies - are they built to last?
Two years
ago I was lucky enough to visit Beijing a little over two years since the city
hosted the Olympic Games. One of the
highlights of my trip was an evening excursion to what had previously been the Olympic
village with the fantastic bird nest stadium at its centre. Even two years on from the games the
atmosphere around the site was electric as tourists from all over the world
mulled around the venues, took pictures and reminisced about the sporting achievements
that had been borne out during the games.
As you may expect the transport links to the village were excellent and
all the facilities were still in pristine condition, the aquatics centre being
especially impressive. Fast forward two
years to 2012 and another visit to a city that had previously hosted a major
international festival of sport, this time the Commonwealth Games, namely
Delhi.
My
impression of the venue for the 2010 games however could not have been more
different. The Commonwealth stadium,
located in New Delhi was deserted and to my eye at least in a state of
disrepair. There were few signs that a
major international sporting event had taken place here other than some murals
on the wall of the nearest tube station and a disheveled looking advert on the
side of a roadside bin. No tourists, no
atmosphere and certainly no opportunities for a photograph for nostalgic
purposes, the gates to the stadium were closed with the grounds inside in a
state of disrepair.
With all
the talk of legacy following the 2012 games in London my experiences in Delhi
provided some food for thought. Despite
some of expert opinions to the contrary I for one believe that the 2012 games
will inspire a number of people to either take up a sport, rekindle an
enjoyment of sport or simply increase physical activity levels amongst those
who took even a small amount of enjoyment from the event. What is perhaps less apparent is after the
budget that was allocated to host the games so superbly, how much money will be
available to maintain the venues that are being retained? Legacy isn't just about the number of people
who take part in sport (or physical activity), it is about how we as a nation
look after the venues that gave us so much enjoyment so that they can be
utilised to the fullest and provide another great attraction to tourists
visiting the city of London for years to come.
Both
before, during and after the games we were a captive audience to the stories of
struggle, heartache and adversity retold by our medal winning athletes. It is true, sporting success is for many,
other than some of the greats, a mere fraction of their careers and when
compared to the years of training and preparation, over in the blink of an eye. Following the games however we have a
responsibility to ensure that these successes are at the forefront of our
consciousness for many years to come.
This can be achieved by a greater portion of media attention being given
to a larger number of sports and also by a commitment to maintaining the venues
in a state that reflects the wonderful events that took place within them.
There is
another aspect to legacy that is perhaps worth noting and that is the help and
support offered to the athletes that do not make the grade. For many years now football and rugby clubs
have run their own academies where the most prominent talent is nurtured
through organised training and competition schedules. Few of these youngsters however will
represent their or in fact any club in the future. So what is the responsibility of clubs to
ensure that their athletes have access to the skills and training that will
allow them to be successful in a non sporting areas? The clubs themselves however may not be best
placed to decide that. Local businesses,
entrepreneurs and global companies could benefit significantly from the skill
sets that are developed in aspiring young athletes and in the future may look
to recruit these youngsters rather than a stream of university graduates. To this end it is the businesses that should
input into the education programs of young athletes as the potential end
employer. This may seem fanciful but at
a time when sport is at the forefront of our consciousness and when the heroes
of London are being snapped up for advertising and promotional campaigns,
perhaps this is an area where society as a whole can support, not only the
victorious but also the masses who despite their best efforts do not make the
podium.
