china olympic stadium dance
Inside Story

Politics and sport: Do they mix?

Inside Story asks if the Olympics is the right venue for scoring political goals.

undefined
The torch relay was dogged by protests over Beijing’s
human rights record [AFP]

With 100 days remaining until the Olympic Games get under way, the Olympic flame is back in China after a controversy that disrupted much of its journey around the world.

Its troubled journey attracted the kind of attention China did not want, and only served to highlight how intertwined sports and politics are.

The Olympic torch relay was dogged by protests over Beijing’s human rights record as it made stops in cities including London and Paris earlier this month.

We ask are the Olympics the right venue for scoring political goals, and should the tradition of mixing politics and sport be abandoned?

This episode of Inside Story aired on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 17:30 GMT
 


To contact us click on ‘Send your feedback’ at the top of the page

Watch Al Jazeera English programmes on YouTube

Join our debates on the Your Views page