Why sport for development matters

On Monday, as the 19th Commonwealth Games gets under way in Delhi, Sports Ministers and senior officials will meet in the Indian capital to look at the role sport can play in helping to realise key development goals.

In the fifth meeting of its kind, the focus will turn away from high profile competition, to the millions of young people in the Commonwealth for whom sport could open doors to a better life.

Given that more than half of the Commonwealth’s 2 billion population is under the age of 30, sport for youth development is an urgent priority, says the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Sports Development adviser S S Chhabra.

“Sport brings together children, families and communities and can make a positive contribution to reducing youth crime, as has been shown in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. School sport programmes in many countries have also been linked to better academic achievement and play an important role in keeping young people at school, and in creating safe places for them.”

According to UNESCO, there is growing evidence that sport fosters higher self esteem, making youth less likely to resort to anti-social behaviour.

Physical fitness is obviously a vital health indicator in combating non-communicable diseases which are becoming an increasing challenge across the Commonwealth, and are a particular concern in Caribbean countries. Sporting events can also be used to convey important health messages about safe sex and HIV and AIDS. They are used widely in Africa to combat stigmatisation and to educate.

There are other key values that can be learned from playing sport. At a meeting of the UN Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group in Geneva earlier this year, participants acknowledged the contribution of sport in developing ‘soft skills’ – lessons for life, but also attributes increasingly sought after by employers.

These include leadership, problem solving, team working, rules-based behaviour and fair play.

In countries such as Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Pakistan, sport has been used to address some of the difficulties arising from humanitarian crises and conflict.

In Oceana, sport for development is a key component in improving the lives of girls and women and affirming them as leaders in their communities.

“Our goal should be working towards ensuring that every young person in the Commonwealth enjoys the rights, benefits and cultural participation of sport and physical activity,” says Mr Chhabra.

The Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS) are working with governments across member countries to integrate sport into development policy. Monday’s meeting is an important way forward.

Dr Bruce Kidd, Chair of CABOS, stresses that sport is not only about high-performance competition and elite athletes: “While the inspiration provided by the Commonwealth’s sporting heroes is powerful, it is not enough to make a difference.

“It needs to be followed up with sustainable programmes if the promise of sport for development is to be realised. That is the urgent challenge facing the Commonwealth and one which ministers will be discussing on Monday.”

Secretariat Links:

• CABOS
• Commonwealth sports ministers to meet at New Delhi Commonwealth Games

Related Websites:

• UNESCO