Understanding Sports in a Capitalist Society
Sports, in today's world, is a cultural phenomenon that can only be matched by few other forms of entertainment. Driven by global capitalism, it is a 512.14 billion dollars worth industry with an immensely powerful influence over popular imagination. Mega sporting events like the Olympics and the Football World Cup are watched by millions across the globe. Sportsmen and, less so, women are showered with such adulation and placed upon elevated pedestals in all societies. They become role models to impressionable young minds who fervently wish to emulate the lives of their chosen heroes. However, even amidst all the projected glitz and glamour, the dark side of sports is also all too apparent. Rampant use of performance enhancing drugs, legal and illegal betting, fixing of games and matches, often vicious and violent fan cultures, national or parochial jingoism, racism, sexism and sexual exploitation are only some of the problems that constantly plague modern sports. It also faces a unique conundrum: of being an industry that is driven by profit hungry and decadent capitalism, but having to maintain a veneer suitable to a mass cultural activity which promotes many ideals like fair play, team work, discipline, respect, inclusiveness etc. in addition to the physical well-being of its practitioners.
The bases for modern sports and also all forms of traditional games lie in the human capacity and need for play. The earliest records of games date back thousands of years with some of the oldest examples coming from ancient civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia and China. All of these games are marked by certain similarities despite the differences in their places of origin. These games were ritualistic and were often part of celebratory festivals. In many cases, these games marked the transformation from boys to men and were also used to determine and exhibit the physical capabilities of the participants, often for their induction into armies. It was these games which later developed into much bigger spectacles like the Olympics in Greece and the ones like those held in the Colosseum in Rome. With the evolution of ancient nation states, as in Greece, the participants were competing for something greater than personal glory. The advent of the major monotheistic religions played an important role in reducing the bloodshed associated with games, particularly in Europe. However, even these religions were conscious to retain many games as part of religious festivals. Throughout the history of sports, one of the most striking aspects is that women were banned from sporting activities almost universally, at different points in time. While there are records of women competing in ancient games in Greece and Rome, much of the records about women's games are those about private recreational affairs which had little or no social standing.
It can be argued that it was capitalism which gave birth to many of the modern sports, in their forms and later their administration. As mentioned, in a feudalist economy divided and segregated on various lines, it was natural that sports were also segregated. As is the case with many other things, the British Islands were the venue for the development of many modern sports, and also some important aspects of modern sporting culture. Capitalism, and the industrial revolution which it spawned not only liberated the industrial workers from many social handicaps but also provided them with a free time that was absent under feudalism. Not only did sports emerge as one of the activities which the industrial workers frequently engaged in, it also quickly became an important mass activity. Industrialisation also provided the masses with something else that was not available in feudalism - a dispensable income. This income was spent on, among many other things, sports in the form of spectator fee but also for gambling. In fact, the need for codifying the rules and thereby the need for regulatory bodies which decide the rules were born from a social need for providing uniform standards for betting and gambling. It was yet another British formulation that shaped the perception about sports for ever more, in an important way. Education had become more wide spread during the 19th century. The growth of public schools had played a significant role in increasing access to education for all. Educationists like Thomas Arnold, Thomas Hughes, Charles Kingsley, Archibald Maclaren and others amalgamated sports and physical activity with education. They believed that sports would help in inculcating courage, moral qualities such as fairness and sportsmanship, teamwork, perseverance and leadership and responsibility, in addition to the physical well being and development of students. These ideas, disseminated through the education system became so associated with sports that, even professional sports aspire to adhere to them even to this day. It was these ideals that would inspire the creation of the modern Olympics movement and other similar endeavours.
Later, it was colonialism which took many of the European sports to different parts of the world. For the colonials, sports was a means of entertainment. At times they used to engage the natives in this activities too. The spread of colonial education was an important factor in the dissemination of European sports within colonies. The Europeans saw the teaching of sports as important in inculcating in the natives the same set of ideals that were intended in the public schools of Britain. Naturally, they saw the value in development of such ideals in the natives in relation to the continued existence of the colonial system. In many countries the natives took to the sports with such enthusiasm that certain games became intertwined with their national identity. Football in Latin America and cricket in the Caribbean islands are two examples of this. In many ways this resulted in the reinterpretation of sport's position in the society. In many of the former colonies sports and sporting institutions became associated with progressive social and political causes. A case in point is the Corinthians Football Club in Brazil, which has always been known for upholding many socio-political causes throughout its history. There are similar institutions in many countries across the world. It should be noted that this phenomenon is not limited to the former colonies alone.
In this age of moribund capitalism, sports faces many challenges as a mass cultural activity. This is reflected in the many contradictions that govern sports in today's world. As mentioned, the proponents and even the administrators of different games continue to affix certain values and ideals to sports. These ideals were born during a time when the capitalist system was robust and when education was seen as a process that would enable the development of humans into mentally and physically capable beings. Compared to its heyday, global capitalism is presently engaged in not only squeezing out profits from all socio-cultural institutions, activities and relationships, it is also cautious about the diffusion of progressive ideals and values through mass cultural activities. In fact, capitalism in its present form has vitiated all such activities like movies,arts and other forms of entertainment. The immense potential of sports to serve as a medium of progressive change is an aspect that the administrators of the games are well aware. This is exactly the reason why they go to great lengths to portray sports as a cultural activity that is devoid of the influence of politics. In fact, the administrators have put in place multiple measures to ensure that sports is not used as a platform for political expression and positioning. A prime example of this happened in 1968 Olympics held in Mexico city. In the 200 m men's final ceremony Tommie Smith and John Carlos who had won gold and bronze respectively each raised a black - gloved fist and bowed their heads during the playing of the American national anthem. This act was a symbol of protest against discrimination and injustice faced by African Americans in the United States and it became an iconic image of the civil rights movement. The protest was met with controversy and backlash with many criticizing Smith and Carlos for bringing politics into the Olympic games. The International Olympics Committee (IOC) suspended them from the US team and banned them from the Olympic Village. This is the case in other organised sports too. In contrast, the same administrators engage in all forms of unethical and immoral practices. In addition to the exorbitant amount of money involved in modern organised sports it is also marked by rampant corruption and other unethical practices. Rather than any values or ideals which they sing paeans about, the administrators of organised sports are guardians entrusted by global capital to ensure the seamless exploitation of sports for maximum profit. In truth, they have scant regard for any values and concerns of the common masses. For them, even a proud sporting institution which has steadfastly held on to certain values is just another pawn to be sacrificed in the game of business. The passion of the fan base is carefully exploited to serve vested interests. Under capitalism, as is the case with all other sectors, many historical but financially small sporting institutions have gone out of existence. Most are struggling to stay afloat but have to increasingly compromise on certain values that they have held on to for long. There are a select few mega-rich institutions run by powerful consortiums or very wealthy individuals who currently dominate not only in the actual games but also in the administration of the sports. In short, the administrators have no qualms about 'politics' in sports when the interests of global capital are concerned.
Dangerously, knowing full well about the passions involved among the followers of sports, the powers- that-be are involved in carefully fanning the divisions between fan bases. This can be between two clubs within the same city, inter-city rivalry or even national rivalries. To understand this clearly, one only needs to follow the media in the days preceding a cricket match between India and Pakistan. The widespread use of war imagery and vocabulary only serve to further the already existing chasm between the two countries. Such jingoism is the lifeline of vested interest in both the countries. They wish for a constant division between the people, a situation which is completely at odds with the capacity of sports to unify people.
The scenario of sports in India is not drastically different. However, there are a few things to consider. In India too, there are many traditional and native games which exist to this day. Many of these are also associated with rituals and customs, religious and otherwise. As it was elsewhere in the world, these games were also divided on the lines of class, religions, caste and race. These divisions continue to exist to this day. It was under British rule that Indians were introduced to European games like cricket and football. Much like elsewhere in the colonised world, these games have supplanted traditional games. In addition to being the games of the colonisers, these games, at least theoretically, were not tied down by religious or caste differences. In fact, cricket has become so popular that the country's huge market has virtually allowed the BCCI, the national governing body, to become the most powerful cricketing organization in the world. In extension, it is cricketers who are deified in the country and command most of the screen time through innumerable advertisements. It is no wonder that powerful politicians are very keen on inserting themselves or their people in influential governing bodies in cricket. The sporting scenario is so skewed in favour of cricket that even global games like football suffer from neglect. The less said the better about the not-so-popular sports. This brings us to an important question. Why does a country of India's size and resources perform so poorly in global events like the Olympics or cannot put together a decent football team that can at least qualify for the World Cup? The answer lies in certain peculiarities of Indian society.
Unlike in the European countries, democratic revolutions in colonised countries including India, were 'half-baked'. This essentially means that much of the democratic principles and values which could be established in European countries during the heyday of capitalism remain unfulfilled in the colonised countries. Capitalism, in its decadent state, is bent on draining the last remaining life out of everything in this world inorder to not just make profits but also survive. Neither the colonisers nor the Indian capitalists who eventually succeeded them were interested in the Indian society attaining true democratic principles and rights through a revolution. In fact, they were downright scared of the possibility. This can be seen all through the nationalist movement wherein the prominent trend backed by the Indian capitalists were involved in arranging for a transfer of power by compromising with all the regressive feudalist principles that were prevalent in the society. Therefore, even as India emerged as a modern democracy, much of its outlook remained feudalist. The half-baked nature of the democratic system that came in place extended to all fields. In place of a public education system that could foster a national sporting culture, sports in India remained categorically elitist. In fact, it was only recently that even cricket moved beyond the confinement of cities. Even that was the result of the capital-driven Indian Premier League searching for new talents to further their profits rather than any efforts on the part of the government! Unfulfilled democratization has also meant that an Indian society that had remained segregated on the lines of religion and caste before the independence, has largely remained the same, without much change even today. Individuals of the so-called lower castes, even today have little or no access to organised sports. Forget proper training, even participation is a luxury in most cases. They are not allowed to participate even in many traditional games played in different parts of the country. This is true of women too. A country with a defined national sports culture, even in a capitalist society, can offer some means for participation to all members of society irrespective of their class of origin. Sadly, the half-baked democratic revolution has left Indians with not even such options.
Solution to this Sporting Malaise
It can be safely said that sports need certain conditions to fulfill its vast potential as a socio-cultural activity. Undoubtedly, there should be a sporting culture that should be inclusive. This inclusive sporting culture can only survive in an atmosphere that nurtures it with all the support. Being inclusive is also very important in manifold ways. This inclusivity does not only mean providing access to all, it should also mean inclusiveness as a culture. Whereas global capital encourages a sports model which results in hero worship of sportsmen and also a culture that inadvertently encourages violent fan behaviour and racism, an inclusive sports culture must make sports a general culture of the common masses. Rather than the deification that is most common in fan culture, all should be encouraged to take part in sports, thereby removing the focus on a select few. While it is true that the ideals that are generally upheld are from the nineteenth century, it should be remembered that those ideals are not outdated but it is the results-oriented/profit oriented culture promoted by capitalism that makes it difficult for sports to remain ethical. There is a line of thought that sports can never be free of such vices because of its inherent nature of competition. However, what is often forgotten or conveniently covered up is the fact that sports is inherently a collective activity. It is this sense of collectiveness that essentially needs to be harnessed. This can take place only in a society where state fund replaces private investments. The USSR, while it existed, had to a great extent addressed and found solutions to all the issues that are raised about sports. USSR, right from its inception had adopted an education policy that incorporated physical exercises and sports as part of school curriculum. The results were tangible and immediate. From a society that was considered the 'sick man of Europe', Russia transformed itself to a sporting powerhouse. Not only did the USSR dominate the medals tally at the Olympics, Sovier athletes had set many world records in different events. However, it was the transformation of the common masses that was the most astounding. There was an annual Physical Culture Day celebration held in August every year since 1939. School sports groups were organised in all types of schools under the guidance of the local educational authorities and the Committee of Physical Culture and Sport. 5000 children's sports schools at which they may practice any of the "Olympic" sport was open for adolescents aged between 13 and 18. At one point in time, children accounted for 43 percent of the country's regular athletes. There were sports societies which were the principal form of athletes association. In 1972, the 29 sports societies in the country had a combined membership of 2,50,00,000. These members could pursue the sport of their choice and use facilities, equipments and guidance of coaches free of charge. Major cities like Leningrad, Moscow and Tbilisi had special research institutions to work out and test new methods of training. The USSR was also an exception when it came to women's participation in sports. It was the one society which actively encouraged women to take up sports and devised policies that enabled women to engage with sports and contribute as much as men. The extent of the impact of Soviet policy and it's implementation on the society is best summarised by the following observation made by Idrottsbladet, a reputed Swedish sports publication. They had written this in 1942, at the peak of Soviet Union's war against Nazi Germany: "One of Hitler's mistakes was his ignorance of the spirit of Soviet sport and its strength."
Therefore, the need of the moment is a transformative sports movement that is financed by public funding. It is also clear that centralised state planning is the most feasible way to reap the benefits of sports. However, what is also clear is that myopic capitalist states can no longer fulfill such a role. The world over, we are at a juncture where sporting administration, however reluctantly, are beginning to accept and encourage women's participation in sports. Much of this has to do with the fact that it opens another avenue for global capital to invest. Women as participants and audiences remain largely untapped. However, as it is with most socio-cultural activities, there are unforseen repercussions for global capital and patriarchy even as it encourages women sports. Women's sports have proved to be much more inclusive. Such trends need to be identified and encouraged to hasten a democratization within the society.
Therefore, it is up to the enlightened masses to form their own sporting societies which can build up to a robust sporting culture which will eventually change the society. In fact, such movements can be precursors to the inevitable socialist revolution, which alone can lead to sports accomplishing its true potential.
