[AS Wimbledon hysteria reaches its climax and the…]

Scan page 3

AS Wimbledon hysteria reaches its climax and the echoes of the World Cup cricket die away, it is time to defend competitive sport.

Defence it needs, both from the hysterical vapours of the back pages of the tabloids and the disfavour it appears to have fallen into amongst radical circles.

The fact that sport has been captured by the baddies does not mean we should give it up without a battle.

Its shameful commercialisation, its rampant sexism, its endemic racism are not built into competitive games or sport -but built into the societies in which they are played.

Take tennis. The sports pages have been filled with demands for action against McEnroe - yet McEnroe is the human embodiment of sports Journalism - spoilt, loud and self-obsessed. Tennis is the perfect game for capitalism. Individual effort, short bursts of activity, broken up by arguments. Tennis as a game induces a spirit of mean self pity in those who play it. The vast sums of money to be won have stoked the fires that blaze across Wimbledon's centre court every year.

Cricket is quite the opposite. The gutter press is as a result completely incapable-of understanding cricket.

Cricket is nearly the perfect team game, depending on cooperation and a degree of organisation and common effort. Even when one player is apparently making a giant individual contribution to a game he is depending on the support of his HINANCIAILINIMIES colleagues. • Cricket has another asset in that it does not depend on brute physical strength and there is no reason other than conditioning why men and women cannot play on equal terms.

Of course in a society in which women are taught to scorn sport there is every reason.

Contrary to popular belief cricket is also a riveting spectator sport once you know what the hell is going on.

The press can poison any sport. Sport is used as an opiate; big TV events dressed up in importance to the level of politics and designed to keep millions stuck by their tellies when they should be out building barricades.

Cricket

The world cup cricket series just ended showed perfectly the difference between the real game and the game as it is presented in the press.

The final - at Lords - was predestined to be between England and the West Indies (the West Indies being the best team in the tournament and England going through on the strength of the Royal Family).

When India beat England in the semi-finals the press greeted the result with dismay and jeered the England performance pathetic. It wasn't. The Indians who have been racially pigeon-holed as gutsy little players not good enough to face fast bowling, had sent an outstanding team, with enough self-confidence to believe they Youth Youth CND conference: July 2-3, UMIST Student Union, Manches ter. Open to YCND mem bèrs and to visitors. Delegates trom YCND groups: 1 delegate per 4 members. Visitors must notify YCND office be- antif VANI affina hfore conference. Registration fee £1.50 for visitors and delegates.

Scan page 4

Socialist Organiser no.138 June 30 1983 Page

----- pull-quotes -----

The Daily Orlegraph Sun "by Patrick Spilling