Athletes shouldn't wear smog-masks during 2008 Beijing Olympics

Whether athletes should wear smog-masks during the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics or not is one of the raging issues that everyone is talking aboutthese days? Anyone who is following the 2008 Beijing Olympics developments know that the level of air pollution in Beijing is so high that they can'teven see the clear blue sky; and if reports are to believed, then, itstough to even breathe and many people have had respiratory complicationsduring their stay there.

Considering that, almost all the nations who will be sending theirathletes for the 2008 Beijing Olympics have started giving special kind oftrainings to their athletes to make them acclimatize with that pollutedweather of Beijing.

I even read in NYT that there are some US athletes who were consideringrunning after buses that emit lots of toxic smoke to make themselvesacquaint with the weather that they will be facing during 2008 BeijingOlympics. Then, many athletes said they will use masks and they all saidon a personnel level but now AFP carried a news stating that the British Olympic Association will give permission to use smog masks to their athletes.

I am personally against this move by the BOA for allowing their athletesto wear smog masks during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Not only, I, who isagainst this; there are many star athletes too who have spoken againstsuch moves as it will be a major embarrassment for the host nation. Ibelieve in that.

See, every nation and every city has its own problems but that doesn'tmean that we are gonna stop visiting that place or should we startslamming the governments of that places.

Fine to an extent critising those governments is fine but at the same timewe need to see how serious is the government about improving theprevailing conditions. We if its serious then instead of slamming them weshould support them and the same we can do with the Chinese government byactively participating in the 2008 Beijing Olympics that to withoutwearing smog-masks or should I say "snub-masks" as we all know howserious is Chinese people in bring down the pollution levels.