International Sports - Assignment Example

All these problems were because of insufficient funds and resources to equip the facilities and reward the participants. The Olympic sponsorship began in various nations like Greece, where its cities could sponsor participants. They played various roles that included the provision of equipment, trainers, and athletic facilities. Some of the major sponsors include Xerox Company, Lenovo Computer Company, and Kodak. The sponsors from different nations came into improve international sports like Olympics.

In addition, the rewards given to the participants were improved, and the participants were motivated to perform well in the sports. On the other hand, the officials were comfortable in delivering their duties when organizing the Olympics. It is important to realize that the Olympic sponsorship contributed much in employing experts who could deliver quality services to improve sports in a professional manner. Technology was also brought in through the Olympic sponsorship where various activities like timing were improved by dropping manual system of recording (Bravo & Maclntosh, 2011).

The International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Partners received various mutual benefits from the sponsorship. In this regard, the interdependence and interconnection between the participating nations and sponsors was enhanced. Olympic Games also received substantial profits and smooth movement of the Olympics. The major challenges that International Sports such as Olympic went through is over-commercialization and ambush marketing. This led to the formation of marketing initiative where a limited number of sponsors would be given special benefits and treatment.

CRITIQUE The relationship between Olympic Games and sponsorship is longstanding. The first Olympic Games initiated it in 776 BC. It is noteworthy that the cities in ancient Greece started by sponsoring participants through provision of training kits, trainers, and some athletic facilities. At the time, the winners together with their cities were awarded only Olive leaves but their performance made them be renowned (Bravo & Maclntosh, 2011). The first modern Olympics were in Athens in 1896 where most of the donations were from private organizations like Kodak.

International marketing was first shown by Games in Helsinki where eleven companies came in to give support like flowers for participants winning medals and food for athletes. The number of sponsors increased gradually that, by 1976 in Montreal Olympics, the sponsors and suppliers were 628. Although, there were many sponsors, financial status was still a disaster for the hosting city and the organizers. This made the organizing committee implement marketing program where 34 sponsors, 64 suppliers, and 65 licensees were introduced together with sponsor hospitality centers for the first time.

This marketing program enabled the organizing committee to allow corporate sponsors to associate themselves with the Olympic movement in different ways. Olympic sponsorship enabled the International Organizing Committee to realize that corporate sponsors provided substantial profits to the Olympic movement. These profits are important for the expansion of activities and space used during the Olympic Games (Bravo & Maclntosh, 2011). In addition, the funds can be used to improve the reward schemes offered to the winners and their respective States.

This will motivate them hence make them improve their performance. The