ESSAY INFORMATION:
Written by: Xuân Phi, 09/01/2023
Supported by: Ex-BC Examiner, 10/01/2023
Question: Some countries achieve international success by building specialized facilities to train top athletes instead of providing sports facilities that everyone can use. Is it a positive or negative development?
(IELTS Academic – 07/01/2023)
ANSWER (8.0+):
It is observed that global prestige is achieved by constructing specific premises to upskill elite athletes in lieu of offering sports facilities for public use in some parts of the world. I believe that this has detrimental impacts on citizens, despite the fact that it can create favourite conditions for athletes to prosper.
On the one hand, the erection of specialized facilities for training talented athletes can facilitate their capacities. This is because outstanding sportspeople can be given better chances to further improve themselves, enabling them to maximise their potential. Therefore, they can give optimal performances in global competitions and are more likely to achieve rewards and success in sports, making great contributions to national achievements in this field. For instance, the Vietnamese government provided funds to establish football institutions such as Hoang Anh Gia Lai to train and support children who have an innate ability. As a result, numerous young talented football players such as Xuan Truong and Tuan Anh were trained intensively and excelled in football matches, enhancing the position of Vietnam in international sports.
On the other hand, this propensity can induce two noticeable drawbacks. Chief of these is that it adversely affects public health. More specifically, as the state budget is spent on building facilities for training top athletes in lieu of providing community sports facilities, there would be a shortage of open areas such as parks, gardens and squares which offer an abundance of resources for free exercise. Consequently, fewer places are offered for residents to exercise, potentially encouraging a sedentary lifestyle in the community and weakening citizens’ well-being. Another drawback is that it can trigger great dissatisfaction among citizens. As they pay taxes to enrich the government budget they may argue they deserve to receive free fitness equipment and spaces, and may feel discontent if the state funding is allocated to serve a small number of recipients only.
In conclusion, although investing in specialized facilities for professional sports people only can enhance their performances and improve a nation’s standing, I maintain that its consequences including deteriorating public health and generating dissatisfaction among individuals in society are more significant.
(Word count: 353)
WORD LIST:
| ENGLISH | TIẾNG VIỆT |
| Global prestige | Danh tiếng toàn cầu |
| Constructing specific premises | Xây dựng các tòa nhà cụ thể |
| Upskill elite athletes | Nâng cao kĩ năng của các vận động viên ưu tú |
| Prosper | Phát triển |
| Facilitate their capacities | Thúc đẩy năng lực của họ |
| Outstanding sportspeople | Vận động viên xuất chúng |
| Maximise their potential | Tối đa hóa tiềm năng của họ |
| Give optimal performances | Có sự thể hiện tốt nhất |
| Establish football institutions | Thành lập tổ chức bóng đá |
| Providing community sports facilities | Cung cấp các cơ sở thể thao cộng đồng |
| A shortage of open areas | Thiếu không gian mở |
| An abundance of resources for free exercise | Nhiều tài nguyên để tập thể dục miễn phí |
