Band 6+: In the past, sporting champions used to be motivated primarily by the desire to win a match or to break world records. These days, they are more likely to be motivated by prize money and the opportunity to be famous. What message does this send to young people and how does this attitude to sport affect the sports themselves?

While champions used to aim exclusively for winning, nowadays the motivation is solely driven by financial gains and popularity. This attitude is a result of capitalisation, it shifts focus of both youngsters to the money and sport in general from the Olympic ideas.

To begin, it is quite obvious how everything is centred not around the desire to participate and be involved, but the need of money. For example, artists and writers have to release as many works as they are able to in order to support themselves at least somehow. Sport is no different to it – the most famous football or basketball teams make their own brands of clothes and shoes, they use images of sports in commercial spheres. This influences adolescents in the wrong way: instead of concentrating on their health and idols to get better both physically and mentally, they prefer financial success. Though it is necessary, the focus is shifted too much.

Moreover, it affects not only the younger generation, but everyone, as sport is rarely viewed as someone natural, but rather one more way of getting to the top of societal class. For instance, the motto of the Olympics “Participation is more important than winning” is no longer in use, as winning is no longer driven by the passion to be the best, to improve, but rather the desire to live luxury.

In conclusion, the wish for financial prize in sport is getting stronger, than to win. Though it is completely relevant to have the need and will for money, it shouldn’t have so much influence on our hobbies and desires as it does. Sport is art, and no art should be centred around money.