Evil hovers over sporting competition

Inevitably sport will be shaken to the core by threats similar to the ones for the IPL. But Peter Roebuck, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, believes sportsmen cannot be regarded as fair game and appeals to sceptics, who believe sport is not worth the bother.

Sport cannot possibly come to terms with these modern-day threats issued by medievalists. By and large it is played in the open, in fields, before crowds. The only gun sport knows is the starter's pistol, the only blood in sport comes from the boxer's nose and the only tears come when tragedy occurs, as it did in Vancouver a few days ago as a comrade was lost.