The Olympics have enhanced participation by helping to break down some major racial barriers allowing the ethnic minorities to compete freely, these include the 1936 Games in Berlin when Hitler discriminated against black people. The success of Jesse Owen gave the black people confidence to believe they are as good as the white people.
Discrimination of an ethnic minority country prevents access, participation and opportunities, as they wouldn’t be allowed to compete due to this unjust way of society.
The Games help create role models for ethnic minorities, allowing them to compete gives the talented sports persons the recognition they deserve. Role models enhance participation but can also inhibit development through stereotyping. For example Ethiopia has a stereotype of producing excellent long distance runners but what if there was an up coming sprinter? As the role models of this country are not sprinters this might mean that the upcoming sprinter may not fulfil their dream because they think that only long distance runners will succeed from their country.
If an athlete from an ethnic minority did well at the Olympics this would help raise the moral of the country, meaning that more people would want participate in sport. Also this would help increase the level of publicity of this ethnic minority therefore helping towards a rise in the economy, giving more opportunities and access for people to participate in sport.
The Olympics also help to raise awareness of the issues within the countries that have been unnoticed in previous years. One example of this is was the propaganda at the Mexico Games in 1968, this was when the ‘black power salute’ was saluted by 1st and 3rd place black Americans, this meant the world realised how they were being treated in America. Those two men became role models therefore enhancing participation in the black community.
When the Olympics take place, the World’s media is in the same place at the same time because it is a world stage. If the ethnic minorities succeeded then world would see a positive image of ethnic minorities, thus enhancing participation throughout ethnic minorities. If the ethnic minorities dint do so well then a negative image would be portrayed from the bad press, this could inhibit participation.
Some ethnic minorities don’t have the money to provide the opportunities and access to training, coaching or Olympic facilities. This will definitely inhibit their participation in sport.
