Does Culture Really Effect Sports?

Culture and sports has really affected many countries. One country is China where politics and sports collided at the Beijing Olympics. Beijing, China was the host of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Tibet a little country southwest of Chins and is currently ran by the Chinese government held protests during the Olympic torch relay. The protests were held because China will not let them practice their own culture and religion. The protests were out of control. Many demonstrators ran through police barricades shouting " Free Tibet" to block the torch runner carrying the flame into Athens Stadium. Ten of the fifteen demonstrators were arrested by riot police. Twenty two people were killed in the demonstrations to Free Tibet. But China being the communist country they are dont release many information and news on the protests. Does culture really affects sports? I believe it does.