South Korea's pride and glory (or lack thereof)

South Korea must be hoping that is the case, especially regarding the just-ended Asian Games. The host country did not come out of it very graciously, but will be relying on the cruel sporting truth that a few years from now, people will only remember the scores, not what led to them.

On cheating in sports, my mind is open. You only need to know what the neighbouring social media said about us when we hosted the SEA Games and all, during which we must have felt differently when badly-bruised Thai boxers jumped up and down in the ring near their dumbfounded opponents after judges declared their verdicts. Cheating is what others do, full stop.

Moreover, condemning South Korea smacks of subtle hypocrisy. The medals are great, but they can be an evil like money. In their desperate quest for the gleaming prize, athletes resort to dishonest means. The only way to differentiate ourselves from those hungry for medals is to show we don’t want them that much. Remember, it all starts with the innocent urge to prove one’s excellence, but things can quickly go downhill from there.

So, this is not intended to be a South Korea-bashing article, although it may appear so. The following warnings to the Koreans are meant to be friendly and reasonable. In fact, South Korea’s sporting authorities should consider reopening their Facebook page – which limited visitors’ access in the face of angry rants by “justice-loving” fans – and putting this commentary in.

Here it is. The key reasons why bad Asian Games refereeing in South Korea is bad, bad, bad:

1. South Korea, you’re already rich. I’m not saying the rich do not cheat. They do, and perhaps cleverly so, but do sports medals really matter that much for a wealthy country like you? If you were poor and your people needed some distraction from the skyrocketing cost of living, it would be understandable. When an athlete from a poorer country cries on a rich nation’s stage because she thinks she has been robbed, it’s a very politically powerful image.

2. South Korea, you’re already great in sports. Your football team has been to the World Cup, for crying out loud. Your standing in the medal table is already decent on the basis of legitimate wins. What’s the problem with being gentlemanly and giving that Indian female boxer the medal she deserved?

3. South Korea, you’re letting short-term sporting glory (which clearly has not become that glorious any more) cloud many other long-term issues. Have you ever stopped to think how many potential “Galaxy” buyers are changing their minds and looking seriously at an iPhone 6? Do you have any idea how many Thais were cheering North Korea in the football final despite news about rights abuses and nuclear threats?

4. South Korea, you’re primarily responsible for a vicious circle now. Like I said at the beginning, cheating in sports is common because of the “Everybody does it” attitude. Now, “Even the South Koreans have done it” will be added to that justification. The situation was already bad in Asia, but you have just made sure it will get worse. And if South Korean athletes bear the brunt of that, people will cite “karma” rather than give them sympathy.

Don’t get me wrong. Cheating in sports will go on with or without South Korea. But with South Korea, it will go on a lot more easily with far less sense of shame.

5. South Korea, kindly consider what you have done to all your pop stars. The songs and TV series will remain popular, but the Asian Games have taken away their sheen of divinity. “What did you expect?” wrote an angry Thai Facebooker. “If that country’s celebs can’t accept their own looks and have to resort to plastic surgery, what makes you think the country can accept a poor standing in the medal table?”

6. South Korea, you only have yourself to blame for all the allegations and scepticism. I for one doubt that air-conditioners in sporting arenas were manipulated in favour of your athletes, but what sowed the seeds of such outspoken accusations? When the athletics competition was allowed to continue despite considerable rainfall and hence considerable risk to athletes, people detected a malicious intent. Again, a TV drama expert like you can surely figure out what can cause such negative thoughts.

There. It’s impossible to change the past three weeks, but let this be a caution to all the hosts of major sporting events in the future. You can cheat, smartly or blatantly. You can even be proud of it. You can say “Everyone else is doing it, so why shouldn’t we?” But at the end of the day, it’s up to what you want from sports. You either want to be like anybody else, or you want to be genuinely different from them all.