by Learning English through Sport Communication
Some people think that the International Olympic Committee should include a greater variety of sports in the Olympic Games. However, for a sport to be considered a new Olympic event, it must meet the following criteria: 1) appeal to young people; 2) promote gender equality; 3) attract media coverage.
The IOC is inviting the public to suggest sports to be included in future Olympics. You would like to propose Dragon Boat Racing.
- Write a letter to the President of the IOC.
- Give reasons to support your opinion.
Dear President,
As the IOC is inviting the public to suggest sports for future Olympics, I would like to take this opportunity to propose dragon boat racing be included in the Olympic Games. For dragon boat racing to be considered a new Olympic event, it meets the three criteria for approval. It not only appeals to young people, but also promotes gender equality and attracts media coverage.
Dragon boat racing has its charming appeal to young people. Not only can they meet new people, make new friends and develop social skills but also learn how to collaborate with teammates to achieve a common goal. As dragon boat racing requires paddlers to act according to the command of the drummer and the drum beat. They will then learn self-discipline and have a feeling of independence. Moreover, as dragon boat racing is both a physically and mentally tough sport which demands a lot of practice through trial and error, young people can learn how to overcome adversity and become more resilient when they are faced with failure. Once they have successfully coped with stress and failure, they will have a sense of achievement and boost their self-confidence. Besides, dragon boat racing can be fun and an enjoyment too.
In addition, dragon boat racing promotes gender equality because there is no gender stereotype and discrimination against male or female participants in this sport. As long as you have a strong body and mind, no matter you are male or female, you are qualified to take part in this sport. In the competition, there can be men’s team, women’s team or mixed team just like those in badminton and table tennis. Therefore, dragon boat racing achieves gender equality, empowers women and endorses basic human right for women.
Furthermore, dragon boat racing will definitely attract media coverage because of its intense atmosphere and fierce competition. Dragon boat racing originates from China. I am sure the world will be engrossed in seeing whether the Chinese sport can be skillfully mastered by the western countries as well. What an exciting and exhilarating game to watch the competition between China and the rest of the world! The competition will definitely attract global media attention and a lot of feature stories will be covered worldwide. Dragon boat racing will be such an impressive Olympic event to the world.
Given the above reasons, I hope that the IOC would consider including dragon boat racing as one of the new Olympic event.
Yours faithfully,
Chris Wong
English language & literature 
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