Centennial international sport in critical focus : with particular reference to the Olympic movement

Abstract

Sport tends to be an integral part of the modernization of societies. Closely bound to the modernization of societies sport as an invention of social renewal began its remarkable conquest of the world a century ago. Today it is one of the most popular social movements and almost all nations all over the world are affiliated with the international sport movement and with its peak happenings, the Olympic Games and the World Championships in soccer. Due to this popularity, elite sport has been afforded such a high prestige that it as such tends to escape and reject any critical evaluations. T his is well evident even in sport congresses irrespective of organizers: congresses organized under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or some scientific society tend to share the common credo on the high legitimacy of elite sport in modern society. Consequently the majority of congress contributions are well in conformity with the citius, altius, fortius - faster, higher, stronger - as the ultimate pursuit of sport. Under these circumstances there is hardly any room for any critical, let alone dissident, thinking and evaluation of elite sport. However, any social institution needs such critical approach and problematization of its conventional affairs for its sustainable development.