There are many sports moments that have gone down in history for one reason or another. However, there are certain sports moments that wound up being much bigger than you would expect a sports moment to be. Look at some of the most impactful sports moments in history below. All of these events had a huge impact on the world in one way or another.
The 1936 Olympics
There are two big sports moments that are worth mentioning from the 1936 Olympic Games. The first one is the more famous of the two, and you’ve likely heard the story of Jesse Owens and his gold medal victories at the games. A black man dominated and won many gold medals while competing in Nazi Germany. Needless to say, this is not something that meshed with Adolf Hitler’s theories of German racial superiority.
Another standout moment came when a Jewish wrestler won the gold medal in lightweight freestyle wrestling. This was such a huge moment because of Hitler’s hatred of the Jewish race. It was also important that this Jewish wrestler by the name of Karoly Karpati won the gold medal by defeating the heavily favored German wrestler Wolfgang Ehrl. It was a moment in time that will always be remembered as a great Olympic moment, and it’s even said that Hitler left the stadium due to being furious at the result.
India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup Victory
India’s huge victory in the 1983 Cricket World Cup wasn’t just a huge victory for fans of the team. It meant something to the entire country because of the tensions between England and India. India had only been decolonized for a decade at this point in time, and this win helped to mark a new era for India. It can be seen by some as the start of the rise of India as they eventually became a hugely important nation that plays a role in shaping global events.
The 1971 US-China Ping-Pong Invitation
Diplomatic relations between the US and China were virtually nonexistent in 1971. In fact, no American had visited China since 1949 during this time. This is why the Chinese ping-pong team’s invitation to the American team to play a friendly match in Beijing had great political significance. It was actually a ploy by the Chinese government to jumpstart diplomatic relations with America, and this moment paved the way for President Nixon to visit China in 1972.