Cricket and terrorism go hand in hand in today’s world.
No sport can be considered immune from terrorism. The sight of masked gunmen opening fire on the Sri Lankan cricket team bus in the Pakistani city of Lahore provides such evidence.
The audacious manner in which the terrorists carried out the attacks is truly heartbreaking. The echoes of the November attacks in Bombay are there for all to see.
For many people, the attacks may not be a surprise at all. The subcontinent is an area that is not without conflict. Sri Lanka has a long history of civil war dating back to 1983 and India and Pakistan are constantly vying over the Kashmir region. The cultural importance of cricket in these regions makes the sport a prime target.
Terrorism and cricket have collided before. In 2002, the New Zealand cricket team narrowly avoided a bomb blast outside their hotel in Karachi.
The harsh reality is that sporting events have always been, and will be even more so in the future, targets for terrorist groups.
The 1972 Munich Massacre saw 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team kidnapped and killed by a Palestinian militant group. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, an American citizen detonated a bomb that killed two people and injured hundreds.
Terrorism and sport have a history, but there are still some questions to be answered.
What makes sports such an attractive goal? Why is the threat of terrorist attacks at sporting events likely to increase? What can be done to stop the threat?
The motives of terrorist organizations are to gain maximum exposure for their efforts by sending strong messages to the world. Sports coverage can be the ideal platform. An apt analogy may explain why.
On September 11, 2001, the spectacular scenes were more like an “Independence Day” Hollywood blockbuster than a real-life experience. Two of the foundations on which Western society was built came crashing down in stages before audiences around the world.
Real-time graphic coverage, communicated en masse, via the giants of the television network amplified the terror. In these moments time just stops. Everyone remembers where they were when the second plane hit the World Trade Center. 911
The attacks in Lahore are dwarfed in scale by 9/11. However, the effects are the same. Parallels can be drawn very easily.
Cricketers are major stars who compete on the world stage through massive television networks to capture audiences in the millions. It is easy to see why the terrorists want to share this stage and make it their own.
No cricketers were killed, but the perpetrators will be pleased with the sensational world headlines.
This goes beyond cricket. Modern media sports coverage gives any terrorist group the exposure it seeks.
The Lahore attacks will inspire terrorist groups to commit similar acts in the future.
Addressing this issue with appropriate security measures must be at the top of the agenda for all sporting institutions, whether it is the Cricket World Cup in 2011 or the London 2012 Olympics.
Security in Pakistan was unacceptable. The Pakistan Cricket Board has paid the ultimate price, losing the right to co-host the 2011 Cricket World Cup and making international sport in Pakistan a thing of the past for the foreseeable future.
The challenge other sports institutions face in addressing security issues is difficult. Additional costs must be taken to ensure the safety of the athletes. Sports stars need safe environments to perform to the best of their abilities.
Sport has a unique ability to unite those who would otherwise be divided. Sports institutions around the world must send a strong message in response to those who choose terrorism.