There is no place in the world without sports enthusiasts. Even if many don't practice sports themselves, they are still captivated by professional sports. Why do people root for their teams, sit for hours in front of the TV and storm the big sports arenas?
The Old Greeks celebrated their Olympic Games
Professional sports have a long history. The famous Olympic Games of antiquity produced celebrated athletes who achieved wealth and fame with their victories. The tournament was not simply held, but downright celebrated. There was a huge social program with feasts and entertainment.
Basically, the Olympia of that time was very similar to its modern successor, although the customs are somewhat different today. We no longer present naked athletes on our facilities, and usually (not always!) the accompanying celebrations are somewhat more dignified. But we seem to agree with the ancient Greeks on one thing: Sport is not just sport, but also competition and, at the top scale, an outstanding social event.
During live broadcasts of major sporting events, that's exactly what we notice: the press, the cameras, the cheering audience, the huge stadiums - everything together indicates that there's more going on here than "just" sports. Furthermore, there are lots of betting opportunities, also an ancient heritage that existed thousands of years ago in sports competitions.
Deeper into the action
Betting draws the spectator even deeper into the action. Anyone who has bet money on a particular team or individual athlete experiences how the tournament suddenly becomes much more personal. Today, the analog bookmaker stands have largely been replaced by digital platforms. For sports betting in Qatar, no one has to travel from the USA or Europe to the Middle East anymore.
Quite the opposite: You simply reach for your smartphone, visit the comparison site arabianbetting.com, for example, and find umpteen different offers there. Many Arabic virtual bookmakers are listed there, all of them verified. Visitors can compare the most important conditions at a glance and get directly to the selected platform.
It is interesting to note that people take sporting events very personally, even without placing their own bets. The magic word here is identification: Fans identify with their team, the athletes become a part of their lives, perhaps even their family. If they win, it's a day of joy; if they lose, it's a day of mourning. Perhaps this is due to the lack of competition in their own daily lives, or perhaps, it is simply the human longing for heroism.
This starts at a young age, when the story with the prince fighting the dragon becomes an evening highlight. This stimulates the imagination, makes us become fighters ourselves in our hearts. Later, sometimes simultaneously, the effect is transferred to the strong athletes on TV. They give all their strength to defeat the opponent! Many young people then emulate them in their own lives, signing up for ice hockey, basketball or football.
The opposing team becomes the dragon
Then the team from the neighboring town becomes the "nemesis," the dragon to be defeated. The good thing is that the fighting spirit is usually channeled peacefully, the duel takes place on the sports field, according to fixed rules, with a referee overseeing everything.
Photo by Josch13 (Author), Pixabay License (License)
Most young athletes hope in their hearts that one day they themselves become one of the great "heroes". Of course, only a few really have such a record breaking career, but this does not dampen their enthusiasm for their favorite sport. Either way, the dream continues, whether on the couch or in front of the cameras of the big TV stations.
So, you could say that the enthusiasm for professional sports stems from a deep, human need. The need for something special, for a show of strength, for heroism. Everyday life would simply be too gray and dreary without this competition. Most people are happy to content themselves with not taking part in the tournaments themselves, at least when they have grown up. But their hearts are usually on the court with their fighters, in the middle of the action, and that will surely never change.
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