The split between Communist and Social Democrats after World War One reached every level of working class political and social life. Here the Comintern’s Red Sport International issues a manifesto denouncing the practice of the newly formed Socialist Workers’ Sport International in 1925.

‘Manifesto of the Red Sport International’ from Young Worker. Vol. 4 No. 15. May 9, 1925.

MANIFESTO.

To the Working class Sporstmen of all Countries!

To all Working Men and Working Women In Town and Countryside!

THE Third World Congress of the Red Sports International addresses this manifesto on behalf of the delegates who represent twenty-one countries at the Congress, to all workers belonging to gymnastics and sports organizations, and invites them to join the international association of proletarian and peasant gymnastics and sports organizations–the Red Sports International.

The bourgeoisie does its utmost to keep the oppressed classes under its domination. In the hands of the bourgeoisie, gymnastics and sports organizations are converted into tools of bourgeoisie militarism and fascism, and thereby into fighting cadets of the reactionaries against the proletariat of the home country, as well as the proletariat of foreign countries.

The bourgeoisie is fully aware of the important role of gymnastic and sport organizations and it is using them as a means to corrupt the proletariat and to permeate it with bourgeoisie ideology, providing thereby active defenders of bourgeoisie capitalist interests in the everyday economic struggles (factory sports, clubs under capitalist control, strikebreaking, technical aid. etc.), as well as in the present and future political struggles (Chauvinist national organizations, military training of the young, national militia, etc.)

FROM being a means of the class struggle of the bourgeoisie against the proletariat, proletarian gymnastic and sports organizations must become an important factor–for the proletariat–in the world struggle of the workers and poor peasants for the establishment of a proletarian social order.

In the atmosphere of class struggle there can be no “neutrality” and no “non-political attitude” for the workers also with respect to gymnastics and sports. Collaboration or class truce with and within bourgeoisie organizations, and especially with the bourgeoisie, is tantamount to a betrayal of proletarian interests.

Difficult economic and political conflicts lie in wait for the proletariat. The Third World Congress of the Red Sports International therefore issues the fighting slogan:

PROLETARIANS must organize the class struggle also on the field of gymnastics and sports, and must sever all connection with bourgeoisie organizations and bourgeoisie ideology. A united front in the gymnastic and sports movement brought about by the entire proletariat will strengthen the entire front of the workers and peasant and will enable it to achieve a victory over the capitalist world.

The leaders of the reformist Lucerne sport international are sabotaging the united front and the workers’ struggles against the bourgeoisie, by their attempts to destroy the unity of proletarian gymnastics and sports organizations.

The Lucerne Workers’ Sports International is not an international class. struggle organization in the true sense of the word.

THE leaders of the Lucerne Sports International objected to the invitation being sent to the Red Sports International to the First Workers’ Olympiad in Frankfurt-on-the-Main. They have rejected the invitation of revolutionary workers’ gymnastic sports organizations although large sections of the membership of the Lucerne International were in favor of accepting the invitation. As in 1920, in Lucerne, they have again refused to enter into relations with the proletarian sports organizations of Soviet Russia. The Lucerne leaders have broken off negotiations concerning preparatory work for the proletarian world Olympiad.

THEY have refused to enter into negotiations concerning the amalgamation of the two internationals by insisting on an amalgamation based ENTIRELY on the already discredited Lucerne program, without any previous negotiations and without consulting the rank and file.

They are determined to prevent a truly proletarian world Olympiad for the latter would militate against their efforts to collaborate with the bourgeoisie.

Working men and women throughout the world, do not play into the hands of these agents provocateurs, PREVENT ALL SPLITS IN YOUR ORGANIZATIONS; the Lucerne leaders are aiming at bringing them about to be rid of the good proletarian revolutionary members.

The machinations of the treacherous leaders must be brought to naught. through the determination of all working class gymnasts and sportsmen to maintain a united front.

Working class gymnasts and sportsmen! The Red Sport International and its Third Congress tells you: Raise your voices in energetic protest against the sabotage of the united front!

There shall be no real Olympiad without the Red Sport International!

THE Third World Congress of the Red Sport International was attended by representatives from all parts of the world. Conspicuous by their absence at our World Congress were only the representatives of Eastern and colonial peoples whose presence would have considerably extended our fighting front. Many millions. of the colonial and Eastern peoples are already in the midst of a fight for emancipation and for them the organization of a sports and gymnastic movement, which would support them in their fight is of the greatest importance. The Red Sports International welcomes the colonial and Eastern peoples’ fight for emancipation against imperialism, and its Third Congress urges the organization and consolidation of the revolutionary sports and gymnastic movement in these countries.

The Red Sports International is the only real world organization of proletarian gymnasts and sportsmen.

THE Red Sportintern draws the attention of the masses to the deception practised by the Lucerne bureaucrats and urges all proletarians to be  more energetic in their fight for united action.

The Vienna decision of the six Lucerne leaders must be overridden. This will clear the way for a real international proletarian organization.

Working men and women, proletarian gymnasts and sportsmen: In the event of the Lucerne leaders rejecting your demands and refusing to organize a real Workers’ World Olympiad, you must do your utmost yourselves to organize a powerful Red World Olympiad. This Red proletarian World Olympiad will proclaim the unity of proletarian gymnasts and sportsmen In their opposition to the bourgeoisie.

THE Red Sport International herewith Invites all proletarian gymnastic and sports organizations throughout the world, as well as all other proletarian organizations to take part in the Red World Olympiad–the Red World Spartakiade.

The Red Spartakiade will proclaim the solidarity of the international proletariat in its opposition to the bourgeoisie. It will constitute a new phase in the great epoch of the mighty proletarian movement on the field of physical culture, not only in Europe and America, but also among the enslaved and oppressed colonial and Eastern peoples.

“LONG LIVE THE FIGHT AGAINST BOURGEOISIE GYMNASTIC AND SPORTS…ORGANIZATIONS! AGAINST BOURGEOISIE MILITARISM AND FASCISM!”

“LONG LIVE PHYSICAL CULTURE AS A MEANS OF CLASS STRUGGLE!”

“LONG LIVE HEALTHY PROLETARIAN SPORT!”

“THREE CHEERS FOR THE UNITY OF THE INTERNATIONAL PROLETARIAN GYMNASTIC AND SPORT MOVEMENT!”

“THREE CHEERS FOR INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY AND UNITED ACTION WITH THE REVOLUTIONARY LABOR MOVEMENT FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF THE WORKING CLASS FROM THE CAPITALIST YOKE!”

“THREE CHEERS FOR THE RED SPORT INTERNATIONAL!”

On behalf of the Third World Congress of the Red Sportintern, the presidium of the E.C. of the Y.C.I., November, 1924.

The Young Worker was produced by the Young Workers League of America beginning in 1922. The name of the Workers Party youth league followed the name of the adult party, changing to the Young Workers (Communist) League when the Workers Party became the Workers (Communist) Party in 1926. The journal was published monthly in Chicago and continued until 1927. Editors included Oliver Carlson, Martin Abern, Max Schachtman, Nat Kaplan, and Harry Gannes.

For PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/youngworker/v04n15-may-09-1925-yw.pdf