If you are confused as to why sportsmen would be given condoms in the Tokyo Olympics 2021, then don’t worry. You are not the only one!
I too found it weird when I came across the news for the first time. So, what is the reason that this seemingly out-of-the-context thing is taking place?
Distributing Condoms To Sportsmen Is An Olympics Ritual
Yes, you read it right! Condoms became a part of the Olympics for the first time in the 1988 Summer Olympics that were held in Seoul, South Korea. It was the decade when AIDS had grown to pandemic proportions, leading to an outcry everywhere.
By the end of the decade, awareness programs were organized at international levels to educate people about the prevention of this disease. And what is a better international platform than the Olympics to promote something of this scale?
From there started the ritual of distributing condoms in thousands to sportspersons before the event. And as per reports, many players make sure that they are used to the best of their capabilities.
During the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the officials had to order an extra 20 thousand condoms on players’ requests. A swimmer from America once revealed that approximately 70-75% of people indulge in intimate activities during the games.
This time a total of 1,60,000 condoms would be distributed among 11,000 players from different countries. However, the authorities advise against actually using them during the course of the event.
Read More: What Made Breakdancing Get Entry Into Olympics
Why Can’t Athletes Use Condoms?
The world is barely hanging on a thread owing to the pandemic. Every major event/meet/activity, including the Olympics, was halted last year due to the spread of the virus. Now, Tokyo is hosting the Olympics 2021 from July 23rd, keeping in check all the safety measures.
Social distancing and masks have become the new normal. So in an era when handshakes are frowned upon, how can one even reckon to have sexual intercourse.
So, what does the International Olympics Committee (IOC) expect the athletes to do with the pleasant gift? As bizarre and funny as it may sound, they hope that the players will take it back to their respective countries as a “souvenir”.
“Our intent and goal is not for athletes to use the condoms at the Olympic Village, but to help with awareness by taking them back to their own countries,” said the IOC.
Giving out condoms when players can’t use them is like explaining the rainbow to a blind person. But as the old saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Sources: DNA India, The Week, Time
Image Sources: Google Images
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This post is tagged under: Olympics, summer olympics, winter Olympics, tokyo olympics 2021, condoms in Olympics, aids, awareness about aids, pandemic, covid-19, celibacy, 14 condoms each to athletes
