The Power of Sports

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Samsung Global Bloggers have been bringing you stories straight from the London. This is latest update from David Kim. 

I love sports. In fact, I’m a fanatic. All my family and friends know this. And yet, if you stopped me in the street and asked me why I love sports, I wouldn’t be able give a clear answer. Why, you might ask? The reason is that it’s impossible to capture the stunning brilliance of sports with just a sentence or two. Like the saying a picture is worth a thousand words, there are definite moments that can answer the question why do you love sports. Two of those moments occurred last night.

The first moment was the gathering of thousands of people at Hyde Park for the London 2012 Live Concert. After waiting more than an hour to pass the security line, the crowd all stood mesmerized by the television screens to watch the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony; it was as if they all promised to meet today and watch the Opening Ceremony. Then it hit me. These people came to Hyde Park with the same purpose: to watch the Opening Ceremony. This is the power of sports. Whether they came from a few tube stations away or from as far away as Australia, they all gathered to watch the Opening Ceremony. Can you think of another event that thousands of people from all over the world travel to one specific location? I can’t.

What those people took away from the Live Concert will vary. But the Live Concert proved that sports can move people, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s the beauty of sports.

The second moment occurred during the Opening Ceremony. As each nation was called upon, representatives of their respective nations marched into the Olympic Park. Some were Olympic powerhouses, some nations that many people have never heard of, some in political turmoil. But the Olympics is an event where everyone can set aside various problems and concentrate on sports. It’s the power of sports. Whether more than 400 athletes are representing their nation or just one athlete, the Olympics is a celebration, a party. And everyone is invited. Even with serious problems around the world, such as civil war, economic recession, and violence, everyone is only talking about sports and competition. When else do you see so many countries represented in one setting? Only at the Olympics.

It’s the beauty of sports that no other can match. And the Olympics is not just about winnint. It’s about representatives of more than 200 nations gathering in one place and having fun.

As I watched the Opening Ceremony, I was more captivated by those two moments than the Opening Ceremony itself. (No disrespect to the Opening Ceremony. The performance exceeded my and many people’s expectations. It was a privilege to watch it). So after today, I now have two more possible answers if you see me in the street.