Passage 1 

Some people argue that the pressure on international sportsmen and sportswomen kills the essence of sport—the pursuit of personal excellence. Children kick a football around for fun. When they get older and play for local school teams, they will become competitive but they still enjoy playing. The individual representing his country cannot afford to think about enjoying himself, and he has to think only about winning. He is responsible for the entire nation’s hopes, dreams and reputation. 

A good example is the FIFA World Cup. Football is the third most important sport in the world. Winning the World Cup is perhaps the summit of international sporting success. Mention Argentina to someone and the chances are that he’ll think of football. In a sense,winning the World Cup put Argentina on the map. 

Some sports fans and supporters get quite unreasonable about the World Cup. People in England felt that their country was somehow important after they won in 1966. 

So, am I arguing that international competition kills the idea of sport? Certainly not! Do the Argentinean really believe that because eleven of their men proved the most skillful at football, their nation is in every way better than all others? Not really. But it’s nice to know that you won and that in one way at least your country is the best.  

What is the author’s main purpose in the passage?