'The war and battle analogies devalue sport and what sport is'

Security and defence analyst Tom Clonan has witnessed the horrors of conflict and questions why descriptions of sporting events and achievements still draw on the language of warfare and weapons.

A view of the square outside the damaged local city hall of Kharkiv destroyed as a result of Russian troop shelling 

Battles and war zones, dogfights and warriors.

The combat rhetoric in sports coverage can often seem overblown, but with the invasion of Ukraine dominating the airwaves it’s rarely seemed less appropriate.