You have said athletic contests make no sense because all are born blessed with an inherent wherewithal, physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. It is a given that no two people are alike as soul attribute expressions differ, so who might be best at a particular skill is not even really their doing. Winning a staged competition is either a fait accompli or decided by a temporary impediment blocking the way of the best athlete present. Is the great cultural importance of contests, like the Olympics, a manipulation of the extraterrestrial interlopers, who view everything through a lens of personal power, so what feeds the ego seems most important?

You, indeed, have put your finger on an important cultural influence that is a connecting thread throughout history all around the world, that sooner or later, the influence of the extraterrestrials will infiltrate any ongoing cultural influences and directions as intended to be shared or given as directions by leadership among the human community. The interlopers see their own perspectives as all-important, and they continually manipulate human endeavors to change outcomes, corrupt thinking, sabotage human progress, and to drag down individual and collective initiatives by poisoning the well whenever it suits them. Some things they arrange to abort quickly, others they might let play out and even encourage a high-level investment, only to pull the rug out from under what has been achieved, at some point, so the loss will be a painful one. Nothing much escapes their notice or influence, directly or indirectly. Sooner or later, their fingerprints end up everywhere. So you can be sure that the popularity of athletic contests, the vision of regional and state-sponsored events in the name of national pride as well as the many competitions occurring locally, for example, competing high schools in the same town. These gain almost a life-and-death importance to the participants as a source of tremendous pride as evidenced by the status enjoyed by the athletes, the many fans among parents and family members of the students participating, and the ease with which passions are aroused about the significance of an athletic event pitting the representatives of two differing towns against one another. What it means to the athletes themselves is understandable, as they have time and energy devoted to their goals and participation. Why it matters to a community to the extent it becomes all-important is the consequence of a manipulation. It is part of the overarching propaganda campaign to ramp up passions about anything and everything possible. Wherever there are groups in competition, that will be worked on to widen divisions and strengthen tensions and the emotions involved, in terms of what is at stake and how those involved participate in their interactions. This is promoted as a kind of recreation and a sort of strengthening mechanism to whip people into shape, create a strong and healthy and vigorous citizenry, not to mention getting the young in good physical condition so they are able warriors should the need arise. This again, is a time-honored cultural mandate, an important political football as well, but the game is being created by the interlopers and all the human beings are dancing to their tune in following their marching orders.