Ah, the Olympics, the great mind wrestle for those of us invested in sport. How much of what you see do you believe? Do you trust the athletes? Same question, but even more pointed with regard to the coaches? Now, maybe I’m an idiot at worst, or a sporting romantic at best, but, matters tend to be taken as they are found until if and/or when something is discovered which necessitates that thought process.
Yes, my blind loyalty has been shown up to be foolish in the past – Ben Johnson, Michelle Smith, Waterford Crystal and Lance Armstrong show that to be true. Albeit the last named scumbag didn’t besmirch the Olympic Games with his nefarious deeds, but that doesn’t make him any less of a wrong one.
Still, the lure of wall to wall sport for two weeks was just too enticing to resist. Particularly, and I know I’m not alone in this, the opportunity to see what one might title more obscure sports.
Disciplines that, for whatever reason, tend not to get the exposure they merit. Except during an Olympic cycle or whenever there were other major events on.
As day one of the 2024 Olympiad draws to a close, for this observer, that meant Swimming, Badminton, Volleyball, Diving, Air Shooting, Cycling Time Trials and 7s Rugby. And of course a degree of Irish interest makes anything more appealing.
Irish interest is one thing, Co Meath connections peak interest to a whole new level. So it was with Ryan Mullen in the time trial, Badminton referee Seamus Halpin from Kells and Chay Mullins and Kathy Baker in the 7s rugby. That’s only after one official day’s competition and the men’s rugby which began a couple of days before the opening ceremonies in Paris.
But, if asked for a personal Irish highlight from the first day’s regulation competition, that would have to be the performance of Vietnamese-born Nhat Nguyen in the first round of the badminton.
Playing against an Israeli opponent, the 24-year-old, who moved to Cavan when he was six, dictated the first set and at the end thereof was a commanding 21-17 victor.
However, the experienced Misha Zilberman repeatedly repelled anything Nhat fired at him and was, in fairness, a deserving winner of the second set, 21-19. Though the eventually vanquished didn’t do himself any good either with Nguyen or the match officials.
One of the other positives about the Olympics from an observational perspective is being able to learn more about some of the sports that might not be seen too often. A personal example – it was seeing the ‘Dream Team’ (Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pipen, Patrick Ewing etc) at Barcelona ’92 which made sure Basketball was on the menu forever more.
During day one of Paris 2024, mind you, it was learned the (a) Barcelona was the first Games at which badminton was included and (b) that the fast paced, energy sapping endeavour operates a yellow, red and black card system the same as that by which Gaelic football and hurling are (meant to be) governed by.
The only major difference being that, in the one on one (or doubles) it is the black card which condemns a transgressor to cow and gate. With yellow being a caution, as per, and incurring a red leading to the deduction of a point. There could be something worth looking into in that for the GAA!
What could be gathered was that one reason a card could be brandished was for engaging in slow play and on that score I honestly do not know how Zilberman managed to get through the entire contest with some form of caution or sanction.
That said, it is to Nhat’s great credit that he belied his relative lack of experience to chalk up the third set 21-13 and so get his Olympic journey off to the best possible start. Right, so the Asian nations will still be fancied to gather the gongs when the time comes but our man of similar heritage might have something to say about that yet.
However, before contemplating Nhat’s future opponents, should we not all pause for a second and ask why the f**k are Israel being allowed to compete in Paris? Is it not a blatant case of the world talking out of both sides of the mouth?
Take Zilberman for example. It was a point of emphasis during commentary that he had served in the Israeli military. Normally, I would be vehementally opposed to tarring a swathe with the one brush, but surely with Israel, all norms need not apply.
Put it this way, you don’t go to a casino just to watch the wheel spinning. It does make you wonder though, Russia (rightly) get banned on foot of the way in which they have tarnished world sport but Israel don’t. There’s hardly a need to grade wrongdoing.
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