Band 8.5 essay sample | Should governments spend money for training sports people?

Essay topic

Many countries spend too much money on training of a few individuals for international sports competitions. Some people think that governments should invest more in ordinary people instead. Do you agree or disagree? Give your opinion and examples.

This is an edited version of an essay submitted by one of our students. 

Throughout human history sport was and still is one of the major types of entertainment. Colosseum battles, Olympic Games, and other countless sports competitions play an enormous role in our life. The better the performance of athletes, the more interesting and exciting the game. However, in order to deliver a good performance, sportsmen require monetary support. Therefore, I disagree with the argument that governments should cut down their investments in sport. In this essay I am going to highlight the importance of government funding in national sports clubs.

First, every single country wants to prove that they are the best in the world. There are multiple ways to prove this and sport is one of them. Each year various international competitions take place around the globe. America is the unbeaten leader in many of these events and it is not surprising. Annual government reports show that the US investments in its sports clubs are one of the highest. By contrast, African government spends just over 10% of their budget on sport. This fact easily explains why America outperforms most other countries in sports.

Second, success in international games unites a nation. For instance, when Brazilian soccer team won the gold in the recent Olympic Games in Rio, the entire nation celebrated the success for almost three days. People became very proud of their nation. These victories increase national pride and tilt public opinion in favour of the country and its government. People forget other shortcomings of their nation.

To recapitulate, sport has the power to unite people. When a country loses in international competitions it harms the morale of its people. Therefore, I strongly believe that governments should provide funding to sports clubs and athletes.