Sport Events and the Threat of Terrorism

SPORTS EVENTS AND THE THREAT OF TERRORISM

Terrorism is a global threat. We have witnessed different terrorist attacks carried out in different countries and by different methods. Terrorist attacks can be carried out by terrorist groups, lone-actor terrorists, or radicalized individuals. The weapons used can be different as well; firearms, bombs, knives or ordinary and easily accessible tools, like cars, etc.

Many terrorist attacks were perpetuated against sportsmen or the public, or were associated with sports games.

Some of the major sporting events in the past depicting the link between terrorism and sport are:

September 1972 - ‘Black September’ attack on Israeli Olympic athletes

Eleven Israeli athletes and coaches were taken hostage and then killed, along with one German police officer, by the Palestinian Liberation Organization faction ‘Black September’ during the ‘Munich Massacre’ at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

July 1996 - Atlanta Summer Olympics

In 1996, Eric Robert Rudolph, a former explosives expert for the US Army, placed a backpack with a bomb at Centennial Olympic Park, causing two deaths and injuries to more than 110 others. Rudolph was later on referred to as the Olympic Park Bomber. The park was the only Olympic space open to the public and immediately following the incident, security and surveillance were doubled and bags needed to be checked before entering the park.

2005 - University of Oklahoma Bombing

Joe Hinrichs, a student of the University of Oklahoma, set off a bomb in an open plaza during a 2005 Oklahoma Sooners football game. The bomb was set less than 200 yards from the 82,112-capacity Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Only the bomber was killed, but the incident sparked the university’s first emergency drill in 2007.

March 2009 - Sri Lankan cricket team bus attacked

Pakistan has been playing international matches almost exclusively outside their homeland since six policemen and two civilians were killed when the touring Sri Lankan team bus was attacked en route to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the third day of the second Test. Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavitana were hospitalised while several other players sustained lesser injuries as a result of the incident.

January 2010 - Togo football team bus attack

Three people - the bus driver, an assistant coach and a press officer - died when terrorists opened fire on the Togo coach in the Cabinda region of Angola, where the team were travelling for the start of the African Nations Cup. Defender Serge Akakpo and goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale were among a number of passengers injured.

April 2013 - Boston Marathon bombing

Chechen-American brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev detonated two bombs near the Boston Marathon finish line in 2013, resulting in the deaths of three people while more than 200 other participants and spectators were injured. Following the incident, security measures at such racing competitions increased significantly, with participants being encouraged to carry all personal items in clear plastic bags.

November 2015 - Paris terror attacks/ Stade de France Bombing

A wave of terror swept the city of Paris and caused 137 casualties, four of which, including three suicide bombers, died when three explosions occurred near

the Stade de France, where France and Germany were playing a friendly international. While the game played to a conclusion, fans were brought onto the pitch and the teams spent the night inside the stadium.

The number of casualties might have been higher if it was not for the improved security at Stade de France. A private security guard denied entry to the stadium to a 20-year-old suicide bomber after noticing his suspicious behaviour. The bomber instead detonated the device outside the stadium, injuring bystanders and causing no deaths but his own.

Besides the threat of terrorism, there have been known cases of sports events incidents caused by natural disasters or other security risks, or boycotting of Olympic Games motivated by political reasons and social disturbances.

It is, therefore, reasonable to conclude that security measures and activities are an essential component of the preparation and conduct of sports events. Every Sports Club, as well as every sports manager, must have a risk assessment strategy and must take all necessary measures to protect the sportsmen, the public and the related assets of the event. It is of paramount importance to identify the greatest threats and to eliminate or reduce vulnerabilities, which will help minimize risks during sporting events.