Tom McGurk: How sport has sold its soul

Our great amateur games can teach the world a thing or two about the dignity of contests where making millions isn’t the greatest prize

The ODonovan brothers are a product of Irelands rich amateur sporting tradition Picture: Sportsfile

Two remarkable images persist after Rio 2016 and will survive, I suspect, for a long time to come. One is the grim image of a man being led away in his dressing-gown down the corridor of a five- star hotel. The other, the exuberance of the silver medal-winning O’Donovan brothers, true Corinthians of their sport.

I suspect that for many, Rio 2016 has opened their eyes to the reality of what the modern ...