As athletes take part in competitions, there is pressure for them to do well from their family, coaches and for some, their country. The pressure may be too overwhelming for them plus with the intense competition, it may lead to them demonstrating undesireble behavoiur during the competition. This is because they may feel very stressed and thus may not be able to control their emotions and temper in the midst of competiting. Serena Williams is famously known for her superb skills on the court. However, it is her bad sportsmanship displayed during competitions that lead to her appearing in news more often than her skills. Being the number one woman in professional tennis, she is often under much pressure to win every event she takes part in and thus, this leads to her emotional breakdown when she is losing to her opponent during a match. However, athletes representing their country in world class competitions know that they have an obligation to their country and thus will self govern their behaviour during competitions. They understand that as the world and their country watch them compete, they cannot afford to demonstrate unacceptable behaviour which may not only bring shame to them but to their country as well. They may then try to control their behaviour during competitions and thus, the reality of sports today is not unsporting.
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I think that the desire to win is also the main reason why athletes result in underhand methods such as doping or match fixing to gain an advantage over their opponents. No athlete would want to go into a match thinking of losing. This causes emotions and even their logical thinking to spiral out of control, resulting in unsporting behavior. However, it is unfair to judge today's sports based on a few bad examples.
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