Cheating in Sport

Cheating in sports
Anyone who loves sports will agree that cheating is bad. For example, it was
simply wrong for Spain to enter people who were not actually disabled into the
2000 Sydney Paralympics basketball team. But sometimes, it is hard to draw a
line between what is cheating and what is not. Many sports encourage players
to be ‘sporting’, that is, to play honestly and accept when they lose. However,
in sports, the prizes for winning are great, so it is natural for people to use
different ways to win a game. Sometimes players cheat or bend the rules to
get an advantage in a game.
Gamesmanship is when you try to win a game by bending the rules or using
dubious tactics. For example, when British Team cyclist Philip Hindes had a
bad start in a team race in the 2012 Olympics, he didn’t want to let his team
down, and since he knew that if a rider fell early, the race would be restarted,
he crashed his bike on purpose. Britain went on to win gold.
Other examples of gamesmanship are when players fake injuries or waste

time. This might give them a chance for a short rest, or it could annoy their
opponent and affect their concentration. For example, at the 2016 Rio
Olympics, badminton player Carolina Marins screamed and shouted every
time her opponent made a mistake. This affected her opponent’s feelings, and
people thought she behaved rudely. However, she won the gold medal without
breaking any rules.
When there is a grey area, it is the referee or umpire’s job to decide whether
cheating is taking place. However, players can take advantage of this situation
because referees aren’t perfect and can’t see everything. For example, in
cricket, if the ball hits a batter’s legs, he is out, and most batters know when
they are out, so they should leave the field immediately. However, few
cricketers are sporting. They wait until the umpire tells them to go because
they want to stay in the game, and the umpire might not see what happened.
This isn’t considered cheating.
However, there’s no denying that Diego Maradona cheated in the 1986 World
Cup quarter-finals between England and Argentina. In that particular match,
Maradona infamously scored a goal using his hand. The referee, who missed
the incident, awarded the goal, and unsurprisingly, Maradona didn’t question
the decision. But the game of football, however, isn’t always so forgiving of
those who bend the rules, as Brazilian player Rivaldo knows. In the 2002 World
Cup, he faked an injury during a match. Unlike Maradona, Rivaldo wasn’t so
lucky; he was caught out and was later fined, proving that the outcomes of
such actions are not always in the player’s favour.
Sometimes, players might even try to lose on purpose. At the 2012 London
Olympics, four women’s badminton doubles teams from China, Indonesia and
South Korea purposely played badly. They all wanted to lose because it would
lead to an easier place in the tournament. Although none of the players broke
any badminton rules, they were all disqualified for their poor sportsmanship.
Where there are games, people will always try different ways to win. But is
bending the rules the same as cheating? Or does it just make the game more
interesting because sports competitions are not only about physical skills but
also about clever strategies?
1. According to the passage, the 2000 Sydney Paralympics basketball team...

a.won the gold medal despite cheating.
b.were in a grey area.
c.were rightly accused of cheating.
d.were accused of cheating when they did not.
2. British Team cyclist Philip Hindes…

a.lost a medal because he cheated.
b.used gamesmanship to win a medal.
c.won a medal despite cheating.
d.lost a medal because of gamesmanship.
3. Badminton player Carolina Marins…

a.used gamesmanship to win a game.
b.used gamesmanship, but lost a game.
c.cheated and won a game.
d.did not cheat, but was disqualified.
4. Cricketers who leave the field when they feel the ball touch their legs…
a.are breaking the rules.
b.are rare.
c.are using gamesmanship.
d.are following the rules.
5. Diego Maradona is mentioned because he…

a.took advantage of a referee’s mistake.
b.challenged a referee’s decision.
c.persuaded a referee to make a decision.
d.was punished for his gamesmanship.
6. Rivaldo…
a.didn’t realise he was breaking a rule.
b.exaggerated an injury.
c.was punished for bending the rules.
d.was accused of cheating when he did not.
7. The four badminton teams were disqualified…

a.despite not cheating.
b.because they cheated.
c.because they were sporting.
d.after winning their games.
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Cheating in sports

Other examples of gamesmanship are when players fake injuries or waste

1. According to the passage, the 2000 Sydney Paralympics basketball team...

2. British Team cyclist Philip Hindes…

3. Badminton player Carolina Marins…

5. Diego Maradona is mentioned because he…

7. The four badminton teams were disqualified…

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