Academic Writing - Model Answer (Task 2)

Over the past fifty years, international sports events such as the Olympic Games and world cup competitions have played an increasingly important role in our society. However, many people think such events are an enormous waste of money, time and effort. Do you agree?

Sports events are a good way to bring nations together, make spectators feel a sense of pride for their country, promote a sense of health and fitness and entertain viewers. It is, however, expensive to arrange such large scale events, manpower is needed and these sports events are time consuming to organise.

When wining the bid to host major events like the Olympic Games or World Cup competitions, countries have to invest in infrastructure such as stadiums, transport links, accommodation etc. It takes years to build these and plan opening ceremonies. Sometimes these stadiums and buildings remain empty once the games are over.

On the other hand, we should not forget that hosting games brings income into a country. Many thousands of people watch these games live or on television so sponsors are eager to advertise. Building large projects also means growth for a country and employment for thousands of workers.

We should also remember that people enjoy taking part in sports and there is a huge audience for this. Sportsmen are proud to represent their country and work hard to perform their best in such competitions. These events provide an opportunity to overcome cultural differences and racism in favour of fair play and healthy competition.

I believe sports events have a lot to offer to athletes and the general public in terms of raising moral and uniting nations. Of course organising and hosting events requires money and effort but in the end this investment is worth it.