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I came across an interview of former Boxing Champion Vitali Klitschko (who is also the current mayor of Kiev in Ukraine) talking about his determination to defend their land to the very end against the Russian Invasion. The interview got me thinking about how brave he is, but also how needless war really is.

You see he isn't alone in this either, as a slew of popular Ukrainian sportsmen have taken arms to defend their homeland. They include His brother and former unified Heavyweight boxing champion - Wladimir; Three division boxing champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, as well as current unified boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk amongst others.

These superstars could have afforded to flee the conflict zone and live comfortably anywhere in the World, but they are instead risking their lives back home, even when the chances of victory are not very encouraging without significant external support. After all is said and done, they and everyone else who stood up to fight for their country will be regarded as heroes.

My question though is at what cost? God forbid it is at the cost of their lives as we have already seen big casualty figures from this needless war, and other senseless conflicts we have had in the past that really could and should have been avoided. War has no utility and the most visible aftermath is a slew of dead bodies. Defending ones own nation might be the biggest honor conceivable, but I was just thinking out loud how competitive sports came to provide an alternative pathway to glory and honor.

Thousands of years ago, there were literal bloodsports where people fought to the death as gladiators in a coliseum and attained honor as slaves, sometimes buying their freedom (well, according to the movies I watched back in the 2000s..lol). We have seen sports evolve from that into the big commercial entity it is today that generates billions and turns its athletes into celebrities.

In that though, there is still a place for honor. Global competitions like World championships and the Olympics provide a platform for athletes to become modern day heroes by representing their countries. No matter what the present day franchises would have one believe, there really is still a lot of honor in raising the flag of the country you love having made them proud with victory.

An Alternative to War

I don't have the evidence to prove that sports evolved as an alternative to war, but there is compelling evidence of its unifying effects. Individuals and nations alike have managed to settle their differences with competitive sports, even if only temporary sometimes.

Conclusion

I actually am thinking of quite a number of things as I write this post, so the central message might be lost somewhere along the line. Just for reference, I'd emphasize again that war has no utility, especially on the offensive end. There are tons of other ways to deal out aggression and gain honor. Sports is one of them, even though it may not hold much significance on the political end. Perhaps it is the price we pay for the increasing commercialization of sports as a viable business venture.