I think that a sport should be at least somewhat entertaining and interesting to watch, in order to be included by the bookies.
There's nothing interesting and entertaining about gathering trash.
The Japanese people are kinda weird. I respect their attitude towards keeping the environment clean and organized, but gathering trash isn't a sport and it never will be.
AFAIK, the Japanese mafia-the Yakuza has some influence in the trash pickup business in Japan. Such Spogomi tournaments might be rigged by the Yakuza, if sports bets are allowed for this so called sport.
I totally agree with the point that it shouldn't have been made a sport because it might be a good cause but I don't see it being in any way interesting to be watched by a global audience because it is not a game at all, it's just some people picking trash, keeping the environment clean, so it should only be categorized as a good cause and should surely be promoted but I don't think this is the right way to do that at all.
I also believe that the money they spend on world cups and everything regarding this sport could be spent on picking more trash and making the world a better place instead of making people compete for it and earn rewards for doing so, just pay some people or companies and make them pick even more trash, that will be much better.
I see your stance, but consider this: classifying litter pickup as a sport could ripple profound impacts beyond surface-level tidying
Pitching it as a contest not only incentivizes the task but amplifies the importance of environmental cleanliness. Such events, under the public eye, could rally global engagement and cultivate a cleanliness-centric ethos. Concerning funds, the awareness and attitude changes these events generate could lead to durable environmental benefits surpassing the effects of a one-off cleanup.