The Danger of Labelling Some Nations More "Sporting" Than Others

There is a cardinal rule I abide by when gymming in Malta: never go after 5pm. Not that big to begin with, the local gym is packed by then, with every machine occupied, and a bike-riding class blasting music and shouts of encouragement on one side. Seeing the gym mainly as a place to relax away from the hectic meeting schedule (and occasionally discreetly gawk at the beautiful women exercising there), I find myself unable to handle its sweaty steaminess on sunny afternoons, just as I struggled in packed rush-hour trains in Japanese summers. 

Having been gymming in Japan for years before transplanting to Malta, the sight is refreshing. Chiba might not be the most densely populated place in the world, but even by the standards of Japanese suburbs, the gyms there felt desolate. Even at what could logically be considered the rush hour for gyms (between dinner and sleep on weekdays, late mornings and early afternoons on weekends), an area of similar size as the one I frequent in Malta would have no more than two or three patrons at night. Combined with calming elevator music (versus rap and EDM in Malta), the atmosphere felt sleepy.

That contrast reminded me of a recent Economist article that blamed India's lack of success in soccer on the country not being a "sporting nation." Citing figures that only 7% of the country's denizens exercise daily, the article pointed out that without a culture of moving their bodies, no nation can be successful at athletic activities requiring grassroots popularity like soccer. The thesis is buttressed by plenty of anecdotal evidence that a national obsession with sports leads to enduring success, be it soccer in Brazil, skiing in Norway, or swimming in Australia.

Yet, the idea that some nations have a culture of sports and others do not is too broad to be accurate. China and India may be minnows in soccer, but many youths play table tennis and cricket, respectively. Surely, that grassroots popularity counts for something in their consistent world champion status in those sports and debunks the myth that their peoples are not "sporting" in their daily lives. Indeed, if we can count yoga and tai chi as exercise, the Asian giants are as traditionally keen on moving their bodies as any country in the World Cup. 

Moreover, and perhaps more sinisterly, the label of "sporting nation" reflects a deliberate stereotyping that coats a certain form of racism in misleading generalizations. The British colonial authorities identified some races as culturally militaristic, most famously the Gurkhas of mountainous Nepal that continue to maintain a presence in the British army decades after decolonization. The Gurkhas certainly produced fearsome warriors, but the designation has more to do with their constant willingness to fight on behalf of the British compared to neighboring tribes with equally martial traditions.

Translated to sporting terms, that generalization insidiously creates an idea that some sports and forms of exercise are more legitimate and thus better than others. Soccer ranks high due to its global popularity and a financial core rooted in Europe. American cultural power elevates baseball, basketball, ice hockey, golf, tennis, and even American football. In contrast, when the whites are underrepresented, the sport is downgraded, no matter how many people around the world enjoy it. Table tennis, cricket, and badminton are all great examples.

Worse yet, that supposed split of the sporting world between the Western high and the non-Western low is accompanied by another high defined by masculinity. American football, basketball, and even baseball are sexy because they are dominated by muscular men showing off their power and strength. Good luck replicating that in table tennis and badminton. If that sexual appeal is what brings the public's eyeballs, the result is financial disparity: brands want men famous for their masculinity to help them peddle goods. Thin men, no matter how fast, agile, and successful in their own field, need not apply.

Lastly, exercise is a privilege in itself. Those who take on multiple jobs to make ends meet and constantly work overtime at their bosses' requests are too mentally and physically exhausted for exercise, even if they have the passion for sports. And how many of the youths playing soccer in the favelas of Rio, cricket in the slums of Mumbai, and basketball in the ghettos of Chicago will fulfil their dreams of adoration by billions of people and contracts worth millions of dollars? The sporting nation, regardless of borders, is a nation that has no shortage of disposable income and free time.