The Tribune

By DR KENT L BAZARD

Sports Medicine Physician

MOST people watch sport believing that victory is determined by talent, discipline, coaching, and preparation. While those elements undoubtedly decide what happens on the field of play, there is another influence that often shapes the outcome long before the opening whistle. It is not speed, strength, or skill. It is politics.

The word "politics" often carries a negative connotation, conjuring images of elections, disagreements, and partisan debate. In reality, politics simply refers to the processes by which people make collective decisions, allocate resources, establish rules, and exercise leadership. By that definition, politics exists in every level of sport - from the International Olympic Committee to a local youth football club. The question is not whether politics belongs in sport. It already does. The real question is whether it serves the athlete or serves itself.

History provides powerful examples of politics shaping international sport. The 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin were used by Adolf Hitler to promote Nazi ideology, yet those same Games became a symbol of resilience when Jesse Owens won four gold medals, challenging the very message the event was intended to project.

Decades later, apartheid South Africa found itself isolated from international competition as sporting sanctions became one tool of global pressure for social change. During the Cold War, the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics were overshadowed by reciprocal boycotts, denying thousands of athletes the opportunity to compete at the peak of their careers.

More recently, investigations into state-sponsored doping programmes have demonstrated how political influence can undermine fair competition, affecting not only guilty individuals but also teammates and clean athletes whose achievements become clouded by controversy.

Politics also influences where the world's biggest competitions are held. Nations compete aggressively to host the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup because sport has become far more than entertainment. Hosting these events can stimulate tourism, accelerate infrastructure development, strengthen diplomatic relationships, and project national identity onto the global stage. Decisions about hosting often involve economics, international relations, security, and public policy as much as they involve sport itself.

At the national level, government policy often determines whether athletes ever reach the international stage. Elite performance requires investment. Facilities must be built, coaches educated, sports medicine services funded, and young athletes supported throughout their development. Countries such as Australia transformed their sporting success following the establishment of the Australian Institute of Sport after the disappointing 1976 Olympics.

The United Kingdom's investment through National Lottery funding contributed significantly to its rise as an Olympic powerhouse.

Jamaica's remarkable sprinting success reflects not only extraordinary talent, but decades of commitment to school athletics, coaching excellence, and aculture that celebrates track and field.

Excellence rarely happens by accident; it is usually supported by thoughtful policy and sustained investment.

Federation politics may have the greatest influence on athletes while receiving the least public attention. Every sporting federation must make difficult decisions regarding athlete selection, coaching appointments, competition calendars, financial priorities, disciplinary procedures, and strategic direction. Good governance creates transparency, trust, and opportunity.

Poor governance creates confusion, conflict, and division. Around the world, sporting organisations have faced challenges involving leadership disputes, constitutional disagreements, financial accountability, conflicts of interest, and inconsistent selection criteria. While these issues rarely receive the same attention as a championship match, they often determine whether athletes receive the opportunities they deserve.

Politics does not stop at the federation office. It exists within clubs, schools, and even youth teams. Every coach has faced difficult selection decisions. Every parent has questioned playing time. Every club has debated whether to prioritise immediate victories or long-term athlete development. Sometimes friendships influence opportunities. Sometimes reputations outweigh current performance. Sometimes experienced athletes receive preferential treatment while younger talent waits patiently for an opportunity. These situations are rarely simple, and they remind us that leadership requires fairness, communication, and accountability at every level of sport.

In today's world, politics has also expanded into the digital space. Social media has given athletes a platform far beyond the competition arena. They are no longer judged solely by their performances but also by their opinions, public image, sponsorships, and online presence. Issues surrounding equality, inclusion, athlete activism, mental health, and commercial interests have become part of modern sport. Public opinion can elevate an athlete into a national hero overnight or subject them to extraordinary criticism after a single mistake. The psychological impact of this environment should never be underestimated.

From a sports medicine perspective, politics can directly influence athlete health. A coach desperate to win may pressure an injured player to return before they are medically ready. A federation preparing for a major championship may hope an athlete competes despite incomplete rehabilitation. Parents may encourage a young athlete to specialise too early in pursuit of scholarships or national recognition. Clubs may prioritise short-term success over long-term development. These pressures are understandable, but they create situations where medical decisions risk becoming influenced by competitive objectives rather than scientific evidence.

This is precisely why sports medicine must remain independent. Physicians, physiotherapists, athletic trainers, psychologists, nutritionists, and strength coaches have an ethical responsibility to place the athlete's health above every medal, championship, contract, or headline. A concussion should never be ignored because the final is tomorrow. A stress fracture does not heal faster because a championship is approaching. An athlete recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction cannot safely return simply because selection deadlines are approaching.

Biology does not negotiate with politics. This principle extends beyond elite competition. Whether caring for a professional footballer, a CARIFTA athlete, a weekend warrior, or a child competing in their first school tournament, the responsibility remains the same.

Decisions should be guided by evidence, sound clinical judgment, and the athlete's long-term well-being rather than external pressures.

Success achieved at the expense of an athlete's future is not true success at all.

At Empire Sports Medicine & Performance, we believe that every athlete deserves objective, evidence-based care regardless of team, federation, club, or competitive level. Our role is not to decide who makes the team or who starts the match.

Our role is to ensure that athletes are healthy enough to perform safely, recover effectively, and enjoy long, successful careers.

Medicine should remain one of the few places in sport where fairness is measured not by influence, but by evidence.

Sport has always reflected society. Where there are people, there will be leadership. Where there is leadership, there will be decision-making. And where decisions affect opportunity, politics will inevitably exist.

The challenge is not to eliminate politics from sport - that would be impossible. The challenge is to ensure that leadership is guided by integrity, transparency, and a genuine commitment to the athlete.

Because long after the applause has faded and the medals have been awarded, the true measure of any sporting system is not how many champions it creates, but how well it serves the people who dedicate their lives to the game.