Band 6+: Some people think that zoos are cruel and should be closed down. Others, however, believe that zoos can be useful in protecting wild animals. Disucss both views and give your opinion. Give reason for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Sports have always attracted countless people, whether as participants or bystanders but have managed to explode in popularity in the last few decades due to their immersive and competitive nature, however violent they can be. While some choose to ignore this aspect of sports, arguing that it is a personal choice to engage in such risky behaviour, others are wise enough to assert that it is best for everyone to enforce rules which prevent this type of dangerous sports. This essay is certainly of the latter opinion.

People who condone violent sports say people are free to play them at their own discretion. As fully fledged adults, they are mature enough to understand the potential hazards they are exposed to. Some even consider banning such sports a violation of personal freedoms. Moreover, since sports nowadays are practically jobs, they should be treated like one. People accept risky jobs despite being aware of their negative possible dangers, so why shouldn’t they when it comes to sports.

I personally think this logic is flawed simply because other jobs have safety measures which significantly reduce the chances of getting injured. For some contact sports like boxing or football, wearing protective gear does not guarantee players will not sustain a life-threatening injury.

In order to avoid such gruesome accidents altogether, the best approach would be to ban such sports. This will ensure players are safe from hazardous interactions with other rivals, which often render them incapacitated for long periods of time. Take the example of the famous football player, Mo Salah, who had a severe shoulder injury while playing in the Champions League final and could not play for months. Furthermore, some sport players who are lucky enough to retire unscathed suffer from long-term ramifications of playing such dangerous sports, as was the case with the renowned boxer Ali Klay who had acute complications after retiring.

All in all, I personally reckon we would better ban such violent sports to minimize the damage despite the claims that it is a personal choice