IELTS Writing Task 2 – Some people think that national sports teams and individual men and women

 As a result of constant mass media attention, athletes have become the center topic of the general in recent years. This leads to the phenomenon of heated debates on the issue of who should support them financially. Some people are of the opinion that government has the responsibilities, while others are opposed to this argument, insisting on the donation from non-government organizations. Personally, I agree with the latter.

Admittedly, as part of the national affairs, sports and sports professionals are the responsibilities of the government. To be specific, government has the duties, apart from protecting national security and boosting domestic economy, to advocate the development of sports. Moreover, so much money is required in order to promote sports nationwide that only the government has the ability to achieve this goal. For instance, to cultivate world-class athletes, basic infrastructures and facilities need to be constructed along with qualified and skilled trainers needed to be hired. This involves a great amount of both money and time. Therefore, without the aid of government, it would be unlikely for sports men and women to be fostered.

However, reaching the conclusion that government plays a vital role dose necessarily indicate that government is the only one in supporting sports professionals. Instead, non-government organizations such as private owned enterprises and sports institutions are also essential. In fact, this would be a win-win situation if private businesses support athletes. That is to say, whenever a company donates money to those athletes representing their own county, the athletes earn money obviously, and this company receives public attention that acts as advertisement and increases its company image and reputation as a patriotic enterprise. This in turn will boom the business and profit of this company.

In addition, sports should not be considered as the top concern of the government. Although it is part of the government’s duty, it could never overweigh the importance of solving poverty as well as well as fighting crime. That having been said, the government should always put these two issues in priority. Thus, spending taxpayers’ money on sports would be recognized as a huge waste of domestic resources and personnel.

In conclusion, as far as I am concerned, money from private sectors should be used to boost sports, whereas government has more important issue to tackle.

While some people believe that governments should bear the responsibility to financially support their national sport teams and individual athletes, this essay is written to argue that the involvement of entrepreneurs is also extremely beneficial.

On one hand, national sport teams have traditionally perceived as the pride of a country and therefore should only be controlled by its government. The involvement of private sectors could result in the commercialization of national sport teams, which will damage the image of a country. For this reason, there has been a general consensus that national athletes should only be managed by their government, who is not motivated by the pursuit of profit.

On the second hand, it is very difficult for the government to afford the astronomical expenditure of sport teams alone. The majority of the government’s annual budget is often allocated to other priorities, such as education, military and infrastructure, leaving little funding left for sports. On the contrary, non-government groups with their huge capital base can financially support athletes to a larger extent. Also, as sports became increasingly competitive, the need for better equipment, facilities, nutrition and training methods have grown urgent. Private sectors, with their expertise in different areas, ranging from medical to technology, can provide tremendous support to sportspersons. With the help of these entities, the performance of sport teams is believed to be markedly boosted.

In conclusion, the sole support from the government to sport teams and athletes, though necessary, is not sufficient. Only with the aid from private organisations, who are capable of providing finance and other necessities, do sportsmen can attain their full potential.

In recent years, one of the clearest trends in sports is that more and more corporations have come into play. It is a subject of discussion whether private financing should be accepted by the government to a larger extent and even the state can concede its control over national sports teams to private ownership. In my opinion, the involvement of entrepreneurs is essential and can be deemed as a complement to government administration.

There are many reasons why the private sector should play a more active role in sports. First, the government alone cannot afford the expenditure involved in the sports industry, such as salaries of athletes, administrative costs, and so forth. By organising competitions efficiently and economically, enhancing athletes” market values, seeking out sponsors or patrons, the private sector not only raises necessary financing but also maximises the return of the sports industry. A business’s willingness to take part in this industry is attributable to many incentives. For example, it would help create an image which is associated with enthusiasm, energy and passion and can be turned into enormous income. Meanwhile it contributes a lot to its solid position in society, as well as good reputation.

Meanwhile, as sports have grown more competitive, the need for better equipment, facilities, nutrition, and training methods has become urgent. Athletes should have well-developed physiques, which can be obtained only through extensive physical training and strict exercise. Private sponsors have expertise in different areas of technology, ranging from nutrition to the treatment of injuries. They are able to train athletes scientifically and effectively, reduce the risk of injuries and extend their career lives. Besides, as private sponsors are more financially capable of providing awards, bonus and other financial incentives to motivate athletes, their involvement is crucial to athletes’ performance on the playing field.

The rule of the private sector is therefore indispensable, but it is not to say that the government should divest itself of intervening in the sports industry. Although the private sector is surely committed to seeking sponsorship and performing many fund-raising jobs, it is profit-oriented and therefore, very likely to make a decision ignorant of the interests of athletes. National teams are branded, marketed and sold as entertainment products, while the value of national pride and ethnical dignity is overlooked. It is also very likely that private investors are only interested in those sports with high media exposure, resulting in the unbalanced development of sports. For this reason, the government should retain the major ownership of the sports.

In conclusion, the sports world is in need of financial support and the assistance of the private sector. While providing financial resources, goods and services, business investors can obtain communicative and commercial benefits. By giving the green light to private financing, the government is more likely to advance the overall development of sports.