Russians are gung-ho about the biggest and costliest Winter Olympics as Sochi. But a cloud hangs over the event. There is indignation in most parts of the world over Russia’s anti-gay and blasphemy laws. That makes the Olympic events highly controversial. The “rainbow flag” sighting from the Sochi arena may be equated with the equally controversial ” Black Salute” by a couple of US sprinters at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach has drawn up a protest area for complaining athletes. Olympians can make political statements only at press conferences. Russia’s Alexey Sobolev has appeared at the Games with a snowboard that has a knife carrying a woman in a ski-mask. It has considerable resemblance to a member of the anti-establishment Russian pop group called Pussy Riot.
A large number of people who matter in different parts of the world are using the Sochi Games as an occasion to indicate whatever they find wrong with what is going on in Russia under President Vladimir Putin. Eminent writers like Gunter Grass and Salman Rushdie are among 200 celebrities who have registered their protest in an open letter to the media. The Olympics this time have become a forum for ventilating disgruntlement in different areas of society. The colours of the Olympic rings have always stood for the colours of all nations. Enthusiasts now want the Sochi Olympics to represent the diversity of gender and sexual proclivity. Olympic Games as conceived in Greece in the 19th Century should be pervaded by the spirit of pure athleticism. Even in 1936, the black sprinter, Jesse Owen won the gold medal under the eyes of Hitler who stood for Teutonic superiority, without any defilement of the Games.