Cheating in sport discussed Essay Example

- those who felt the ruling was just, and those who believed Cronje should have been forgiven for his mistake. Supporters of the ruling argued that, as an ambassador and role model, Cronje had knowingly chosen to cheat for personal gain and therefore deserved the punishment; failure to do so would have set a negative example for others. However, some individuals took a more sympathetic approach, believing that a single mistake should not define a person's character.

Despite some people advocating for his return and the passing down of his skills and experience, I believe that the punishment given to him was fair. He not only brought disrepute to the international game, but he also took advantage of his players and cheated many who had fairly bet on the game or bought tickets to watch it. It seems that he committed this crime purely for the thrill of breaking the law, despite already living in a house worth over one million Rand. Consequently, a lifetime ban was a suitable punishment. However, why do so many athletes feel the urge to cheat? In my opinion, athletes are no more susceptible to cheating than anyone else; it's just that their chosen profession presents opportunities for cheating- taking drugs aids performance in some areas, match rigging can result in huge monetary benefits, and cheating in most sports is relatively easy. The police estimate that 90% of crime stems from opportunity; an individual sees an opportunity to commit a criminal act- like an empty house or vulnerable individual- and exploits it.

Sports professionals have more chances to commit offences than most criminals, as they have to perform their task every

time they go to work. They can easily fulfil the bribes to lose a game or match, as it is common for sports players to fail during the game. Moreover, it is unlikely for them to get caught unless someone reports or records their act. Another major challenge in sports is doping, wherein players take performance-enhancing drugs.

Despite numerous high profile cases, most positive drug tests in sports have been due to chance rather than skill. Ben Johnson's drug test at the Olympics was only conducted because they randomly tested one in every hundred athletes and he happened to be selected. These cases demonstrate that although some cheaters are caught, many slip through undetected. Even when athletes are caught, they often claim they unknowingly consumed a banned substance. However, as professionals, shouldn't they verify what they are taking beforehand? The Hansie Cronje case highlights the corrupt nature of accepting bribes, and the intricate trap set by the Indian police shows how difficult it is to catch cheaters in sports. Unfortunately, this difficulty ensures that the issue will remain prevalent in sports for years to come.

There will always be individuals who become corrupt and others who corrupt them.