In this month’s latest issue, Janice Chan-Choy argued no, while James Louey contended with a yes. Find out what other socialites thought about the Great Debate topic

Illustration by Nazri Razak

June sees the release of our sports issue and in this month’s Great Debate, we ask a slew of active socialites whether or not they believe school sports should be more competitive. While many agreed that competitive atmosphere is essential for personal development, some believe that society as a whole has become overly cutthroat –  not something to be encouraged. James Louey and Janice Chan-Choy may have battled it out in the pages of our magazine, but here we’ve got several other opinions answering the question: should school sports be more competitive?

Marie-Christine Louey

Founder of Sport Max HK Co and the Sports for Hope Foundation

I am sports lover and I love to compete. Sports are meant to be competitive because it allows people to use devotion, passion, energy, endurance, versatility, resilience, determination and self-confidence to achieve a goal. Being competitive requires the highest physical state, positive psychology and a balance of emotions.

Competition is also an effective way to communicate with peers and helps to create stronger bonds with family and friends when they come to support students participating in competitions.

Carol Murray

Managing Director of Zimmern and supporter of Help for Heroes

I believe that sports and competition help to stimulate and produce a strong mind, as well as encourage strong relationships and cooperation amongst peers. In fact, competition and sports also help to tackle social problems including bullying, eating disorders, smoking and drinking, because daily routines that incorporate exercise are known to reduce stress and control hormones.

If there were no competitive atmosphere, it would result in most children spending time indoors on computers and on the couch. While it is important to have non-competitive sports that encourage positive well-being and team work, without competitive sports, students would never realise their own true potential.