Olympic Athletes Need Code of Conduct

The Human Rights Activists and Sponsors from behind the scene should desist from being indiscreet and offensive to the host with their poisonous tongues and pens in Beijing, China.

Olympic Games are conducted, once in four years, by a Governing Body.

They have their selection methods in place. That body has selected the next avenue for the games. And it is Beijing, Hebei province, Peoples Republic of China.

Now it is the turn of the governing bodies of Olympic games of each country to set in motion the process of selecting the best athlete to represent the country.

The onus of selection of the athletes is in the hands of the relevant authority of each country. They would do their job as they deem suitable to the given circumstances.

If they succeed, well and good. If they fail or fall short they would be given the boot and replaced, hopefully, by a better set of officials.

The words “to represent the country” is the criterion in selection. The selected athletes would represent their country just as diplomats do.

The diplomats are, generally, trained professionals.

Athletes are trained in their own discipline and certainly not in diplomacy.

Therefore, it stands to reason, the athletes be given a set of code of conduct to conduct themselves whenever and wherever they are in.

Now the criteria in selection of athletes, ‘to represent the country’ is not only on the prowess in the discipline, but also in the conduct, behaviour of the individual.

The media is the “watch dog” of the nation. Media should and would focus spotlight on any matter of public interest.

But if the media is barking up the wrong tree, civic minded citizenry should point in the correct direction.

That’s how public opinion is counted. And the “same” yardstick should be applied in all cases.

The images of children being engaged in weaving carpets in India is nauseating to some editors. They write lengthy articles waging a war against the import of carpets from India.

Indeed they are right. That’s how it should be in good governance.

A “United States” company was importing toys from China. Toys for children of all ages.

We all know, the kids while at play, tend to lick or insert small items inside their mouths.

Now the CEO of this company found out a terrible secret. The Chinese manufacturers were using unhealthy paints in the making of these toys.

Cheap paints are poisonous.

The CEO, indiscreetly opened his mouth to the press about his discovery.

He must have gloated with pride, never once thinking of the consequences. The Media went into a frenzy over the issue, and rightly so.

Rest of the world picked it up and wagged no end.

Two days later someone senior to the CEO, made an announcement : ‘The whole fault is ours and not of the Chinese manufacturers’.

China put its foot down and demanded “why go public on an issue that”s detrimental to both of us’.

And billions of dollars worth of business was at stake.

The company caved in, may be with advice from the Trade and Commerce Secretary.

That’s the result of “arm twisting” in the world of “trade” and is taking place, as a matter of routine, in every facet of the diplomatic world.

When all things are considered, Commerce comes first for any government and if the government fails our “high-brow” ideals will never rescue the populace from poverty.

We the “silent” majority of the citizenry, may now focus our sight on worthier mundane matters, and leave the “olympic games authority” to get on with their alloted job.