In the words of Franklin Roosevelt, sport “keeps our spirits alive.” We sure need the diversion. But is sport keeping its end of the bargain?
Immediately after the attacks, many sporting events across the globe were postponed. In the ensuing weeks, a slew of players — some members of Austria’s soccer team and English cricketers Andrew Caddick and Robert Croft, to give but a few examples — pulled out of international commitments, citing safety concerns. Not that everybody was daunted. U.S. weight lifter Jackie Berube financed her own trip to compete in the World Weight-Lifting Championships in Turkey after the sport’s governing body in the U.S. decided it was too dangerous. And 1,000 Irish fans went to Iran to see Ireland qualify for the World Cup.
In future, safety will be the paramount issue for competitions and competitors. Next year may provide a watershed for security, with two high-profile events taking place: the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and the soccer World Cup hosted by Japan and South Korea. Both events have already been affected by Sept. 11 — insurance premiums for the World Cup have become more expensive and a minimum extra $40 million has been injected into security for the Winter Games.
What’s changed?
The sports world is more aware of its potential as a terrorist target.
Will it last?
Yes. Greater security is likely for years to come.
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