Olympic Trickles

Enough already! That's what I told myself on Thursday, while considering what to blog next. However, I felt like jumping off the diving platform without hitting the water by doing so. Thank goodness! BBC online news yesterday reported that Zimbabwe President Mugabe rewarded Olympic gold medalist Kirsty Coventry US$ 100,000.00 for a job well-done at the Beijing Olympics.

"Kidding me!" I said to myself as my jaw dropped. Here's a country, which has a widespread shortage of food and fuel, its inflation is currently at 11,000,000% that one has to bring "wads and pads of paper bills" and joining a long line just to buy a loaf of bread, yet it can afford to reward an Olympian, who now lives in glory in the old-glory of USofA (pun intended). The BBC report took me back to my question: Is Olympics an individual or a state (publicity) competition?

Mugabe's action surely answered it. Certainly, Kirsty Coventry brought honor to the country. She's the only Olympian who won all, but a couple, for Zimbabwe. Of course, she is worthy of her labor and hard work, no question about that. Nevertheless, I cannot understand how a president can afford to reward (in US dollar) an Olympian in the midst of a serious economic crises. If the Olympic Games is an individual or a team competition, every country should not be giving away thousands or millions of money as an incentive for its athletes to excel. I probably would admire President Mugabe (and not consider the reward a show-off), if the amount was a little less, but with a huge Zimbabwe law (call it Coventry Law)that IN HONOR OF KIRSTY COVENTRY'S OLYMPIC TRIUMPHS, HE AND HIS CRONIES WILL RETURN ALL THE WHITE-OWNED FARMS THAT THEY REPOSSESSED FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS. After all, Kirsty is Caucasian.

I know. I know. Zimbabwe is not the only country that glorifies victorious Olympians. Hey, I heard my own country, The Philippines, which is also experiencing economic crises (oh well, which country isn't. Even the old USofA is), promised to give 3,000,000.00 Philippine pesos for a Filipino gold medalist in Beijing. Unfortunately, there wasn't any, except in a "washu", which was just an exhibition game.

So now, those Kenyans and Bulgarians, who competed for Quatar and other countries even though they cannot speak the host's language and understand the culture, are also now out of the question. I still am pinching myself (for me to believe) that the IOC find such action legitimate, because it adheres to the Olympic charter that the Games is an individual and team competition. There, you have it. Clear as mud! Make my mind spin 360 to understand the politics in the Olympic Games!

Peace! Unity! Understanding! Oh, well, let's just keep the 5 continents together and expect the best for the Winter Olympics.