Sport is a language that is supposed to bridge people all over the world closer – no matter what age, race, and sexual orientation they have. Sport should also bring out the best in humans since it is, after all, about teamwork, giving it your all, espouses discipline, and, most importantly, playing with respect for your opponent – win or lose.

When Muhammad Ali – touted to be the greatest boxer of all time, passed away last Friday after his bout with Parkinson’s disease – the world mourned with the family he left behind. Even his greatest foe, two-time heavyweight champion George Foreman, had nothing but praises for his fiercest rival, calling the late boxing legend “the greatest piece.”

Ali’s death is one of sport’s “eureka” moments when the world stands tall, with their hearts beating as one. But too often, though, we are seeing how sports also bring out the worst in people.

Statistics provided by online bookmaker LeoVegas.com showed that majority of those who regularly play sport don’t think that being verbally abusive to other player makes them a bad sport. The bookmaker surveyed 1,000 amateur athletes in the UK, of which 55 percent thinks that saying racist, homophobic or sexist remarks are OK – a far cry from the ideal sports attitude of mutual respect.