Question: Why are athletes so appreciated in today's world?

Sri Chinmoy: If athletes are appreciated, it is because the West gives more importance to speed than to anything else. Speed is always given prime importance. In the spiritual life also we try to run the fastest. Then, once we reach our goal, we see that that goal is the starting point for our next goal. So if you feel athletics is given more importance than other fields, I wish to say that God Himself is the Supreme Athlete. All the time He is running, flying, diving and illumining us faster than the fastest.

From:Sri Chinmoy,The outer running and the inner running, Agni Press, 1984
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ori