Sports: Unity Through Sports | Could It Be Done?

If one says that sports can unite the people, I must say that it is not true all the time. The reason is that one cannot measure the unity just because group of people sitting together in one place to watch the final match of world football main event.

Hence, I must disagree with our respected Prime Minister when he said:

Kuala Lumpur: Datuk Seri Najib Razak percaya sukan adalah satu daripada kuasa yang paling kuat menyatukan masyarakat tanpa mengira usia, bangsa dan etnik.

Perdana Menteri berkata, di Malaysia, perpaduan paling besar menerusi sukan boleh disaksikan dalam kepelbagaian rakyat ialah keghairahan untuk bola sepak.

Beliau berkata demikian dalam entri terbaru berjudul ‘Malaysia Lwn Man City’, sebuah acara untuk ditonton semua dalam blognya www.1Malaysia.com.my, kelmarin.

Source: Berita Harian

The fighting incidents after football matches, the bad words uttered to the opponent's supporters via banners whatsoever, the seat-burning incidents - these totally do not reflects any kind of unity.

Some do not take sports as leisure - as something to have fun with - some are being so emotionally attached to their favorite teams that their teams can't be criticised.

Despite sports may (I say may) create unity at some level ie: in group of people who support the same team/club, one should not say that sports is "huge factor" to unity.

We might be able to feel some kind of unity when Malaysia plays against other countries' teams - but how one could say unity is created when supporters of one state in Malaysia fights against other supporters of another state in Malaysia?