Debatable is a column written by the Otago University Debating Society. The Debating Society welcomes new members and meets at the Business School every Tuesday at 6pm.
For
At a point in time where the Olympics have strayed from the traditional track and field, any argument about what it means to be a “traditional” Olympic sport goes out the door. We have sports that involve more technical skill than athletic prowess like shooting, and more and more team sports have been added over the years: cricket, football and rugby sevens.
Therefore, the argument about the inclusion of beer pong should not be based on the integrity of the Olympics, but whether or not beer pong constitutes a sport. The answer to this question is relatively simple: is it competitive, does it involve a physical activity of skill, and is there an international body arbitrating it? For the humble sport of beer pong the answer to all those is “yes”.
One of the biggest issues facing the Olympics is the inequality of opportunity. It's no secret that nations who are able to afford the best training facilities, such as gymnasiums and swimming centres, have a far higher likelihood of coming home laden with medals. There's nothing equal about nations paying to win Olympic gold medals. It takes away from what was originally meant to be a competition of amateurs.
You might ask yourself at this stage how beer pong factors into the equation. Well, beer pong, unlike other sports, has a remarkably low cost of entry and does not require a state of the art facility in order to compete. We’re talking equality, baby. Beer pong would offer a truly level playing field for all nations – admittedly tipping in New Zealand’s favour if we were to send a horde of North D breathas. Thus, it represents a return to the original purpose of the games!
After all, a quadrennial reminder of the vast economic disparities in the world isn't inspiring in the slightest. The original spirit of the Olympics is long dead (Raygun was the nail in the coffin) and anything can be considered a sport as long as it meets a few vague criteria – all of which beer pong does. So the next time you call “island” and line up a shot, name it after a nation you could one day be competing against in the Olympics. Train hard, brethren.
Against
The Olympics is straying from its roots and it's clear that the public isn't too keen on this. We need only look at the negative backlash that breakdance had upon debuting. Imagine that backlash but reflected onto beer pong. Beerpong, unlike other niche Olympic events, really doesn't require much skill or effort – no matter what your slurring mate claimed last weekend when he sunk the winning cup. It does not demand rigorous training and athleticism to master. And unlike sports like curling, beer pong does not require a high degree of teamwork and strategy.
And who are we kidding? Beer pong is, and will be seen as, a silly party game played predominantly by Western countries – ones who like to get on the piss. Western nations already benefit disproportionately in terms of medal count in relation to population size. Let’s face it, adding a frat bro playing sport to an event meant to be the height of prestige and the best demonstration of athleticism is just a bad look. Frankly, it’s insulting.
There are so many other sports more deserving, too; ones that don't get chosen due to being specific to a region or nation. Why, for example, should the Olympics cater to Western ideas of horse pageantry through events such as equestrian but not to the various central Asian sports involving horses?
There isn't really a legitimate answer to this outside of an appeal to tradition. When faced with this issue, the Olympics could seek to include as many events as possible, a difficult feat, or they could return to core athletic events that are generally modelled on the OG Olympics. A beer pong champion shouldn’t be receiving the same accolades as a champion athlete; it's degrading to the meaning of a gold medal and an insult to the other sports in the world that haven't been allowed into the Olympics.