A formal lifting of COVID-19 prevention measures is clearly not happening any time soon. The situation is testing Taiwanese’s patience, and the question of how to occupy one’s time while staying at home has become a hot topic. In addition to fundamental routines, such as eating and sleeping well, and exercising enough, there are many other activities to consider.
Although Taiwanese sports events have been suspended due to the level 3 COVID-19 alert, there are lots of sports events in Europe and North America: the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League finals, Major League Baseball games, the Union of European Football Associations’ Euro 2020 matches and the Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament, as well as the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games, the world’s largest sports event, which is to take place in the middle of many Taiwanese’s summer vacation.
The coming two months will be packed with international sports events and might be the happiest time for sports fans around the globe.
Why are sports so fascinating? Many sports fans say that it is the excitement they feel when seeing the struggle of athletes on the field and the uncertainty of who will win. Many of them also follow a certain athlete or team, and project their emotions onto them.
Moreover, through this vicarious experience, sports fans can unwind from their troubles and release the pressures that builds up during their daily lives.
A game is a bit like life itself — the unremitting struggle on the field is similar to how people struggle relentlessly in their daily lives, and it reminds sports fans to be more active and optimistic as they face real-life challenges.
Due to individual and social demand, the sports market has long been highly commercialized. Data compiled by Plunkett Research, a provider of business and industry sector analysis and research, showed that before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the output value of the global sports industry had reached US$2 trillion, which shows how powerful and active the industry is.
At the end of last year, at a time when the pandemic paralyzed the world, the P.LEAGUE+ — a new men’s professional basketball league — was launched in Taiwan. Home games of the Taipei Fubon Braves have had an average attendance rate of 96 percent of their home arena’s capacity, and merchandise sold like hot cakes. The team’s profit is dazzling — net profit at a home game on a holiday is more than NT$10 million (US$357,270). When the Braves won the championship in the inaugural season, it did not just boost the franchise’s profile, but also its revenue.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development says that countries should pay more attention to the happiness of their population, in addition to pursuing economic growth. In other words, the organization suggests shifting the focus from GDP to “gross national happiness.”
The carnival of countless fans watching NBA games or Euro 2020 matches, live in the arena or at a public screening, is an expression of joy and happiness. Participating in or watching sports events can drive economic output, while at the same time bringing social return on investment such as vitality, health, happiness and recognition.
Do you still worry about how to occupy your time at home? Watching international, first-class sports can be a choice for a happy life.
Tao Yi-che, a teacher at Affiliated High School of National Chengchi University, has a doctorate in human movement studies from the University of Queensland.
Translated by Lin Lee-kai
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