Knocking Down Cultural Barriers Through Sports

People of many different races, religions, cultures, and languages are all sharing the same planet but despite their differences, they are brought together by sports, playing alongside each other and competing side by side.

I have always had a passion for badminton, and would watch badminton matches whenever important tournaments came up. On one memorable evening, I was astonished by a surprising sight displayed on TV. It was a game between two legendary badminton players, Lin Dan and Li Zhongwei, well-known Olympians with fans all over the world. The two players have been opponents across the net for 10 years. The game started out perfectly normally, and after a breath-taking few minutes, Li won the game. Then an incredible scene occurred: Lin went over and slapped Li on the back and congratulated him with genuine happiness.

I was stunned! They had been opponents for 10 whole years. Moreover, they were playing for their country, so I thought they should be competitive and not celebrating each other’s victories. However, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

I realized that when people have been opponents in sports for a long time, they tend to form bonds and friendships that outsiders might not understand. Sometimes these bonds and friendship are what counts after a long grueling match. And it’s not just badminton that makes bonds: basketball, football, and any other sport also have the same results.

So, why do people form these bonds? How could opponents with different languages, cultures, and lifestyles become friends? The answer is simple: athletic spirit.

It’s the athletic spirit that brings people together. No international athletic tournament is just about a sports competition, they are also times when people can exchange ideas and build relationships. Moreover, unlike what most people might think, bonds are not always a bad thing when it comes to a game or a show, as they provide strength and good entertainment as well.

Sports can bring people together, and it can also open your eyes. Athletes are seen overcoming their cultural differences all the time. It seems to me that when Westerners play a sport, their main priority is to feel relaxed and enjoy themselves whereas when Asians play sports, they tend to focus more on winning the game rather than enjoying it. However, there is no right or wrong in this matter, there is only a difference between cultures.

In 2017 when NBA star Jeremy Lin was called out by fellow player Kenyon Martin for having dreadlocks, a typical Black hairstyle, Lin’s response was one that exemplified embracing cultural diversity in sports. Posting on Twitter, Lin said “It’s all good, you don’t have to like my hair and definitely entitled to your opinion. Actually I legit grateful you sharing it tbh. At the end of the day I appreciate that I have dreads and you have Chinese tattoos bc I think it’s a sign of respect. And I think as minorities, the more we appreciate each others’ cultures, the more we influence mainstream society. Thanks for everything you did for the nets and hoops… had your poster up on my wall grownin up [sic]”

Sports is about bringing people and nations together. It’s these cultural differences in sports that can make you realize your mistakes and fix them in the nick of time. I hope for a better society that takes the good from each others’ cultures and excludes the bad. It will take time to get there of course. However, I know that we as students can achieve that someday.