Sport is all about unity

Lazarus Sauti

One of the most noticeable aspects of African culture is the passion that so many people have for sports.

Africans are loyal supporters, talented participants and good sportsmen and women.

Thus, Africans should be encouraged to participate in sports and use different sporting codes as platforms to forge peace in societies.

This is so because sport by nature is a social interactive forum and is there to provide entertainment and employment to many people.

“I urge every individual in the game of football to embrace unity as sport is all about love and peace,” said Zhuwaki Collins Chabata, former Highlanders football club player.

 “Unity is what soccer is about. It brings nations together and it should stay like that,” said Chabata.

In Africa, the power of sport to bring together communities from different backgrounds is evident. This is because sports offer many benefits to citizens.

Blogger Roxanne Rua concurs: “There are many research initiatives from all over the world that indicate a strong correlation between community sporting initiatives and a wide range of benefits, from reduced crime and drug use through to better performance at school and even lower prevalence of depression. I therefore feel that a greater emphasis on sport should be an integral part of community development.”

The contribution sport can make towards peace-building efforts should therefore be considered at grassroots and nation state levels.

At the grassroots or community level, sport can be seen to provide a useful way of creating an environment in which people can come together to: work towards the same goal, show respect for others and share space and equipment.

All these aspects are crucial to peace-building processes.

To effectively embrace sports as a peace building tool, stakeholders should use different sporting codes to bring children and communities together.

They should also use platforms such as grassroots football as a means to provide a site for interaction and to build relationships between young people and coaches. This can be effective since sport is a reconciliation tool that can be used to encourage understanding and tolerance in societies.

Sport can also provide a positive image of the nation to the international community.

Studies on specific cases have shown that sport, especially football, can positively contribute to strengthening national pride and forming a cohesive national identity.

For example, a study on the case of football in Liberia shows that football is considered ‘a “neutral” pursuit – a common cultural property unspoiled by war’.

During the civil conflict, football tournaments were considered the only occasions that produced a sense of national unity.

The use of sport as a tool for development is sometimes underestimated around the world, however with young people’s innate ability to identify with sport and its many valuable outputs, African countries should make a commitment to putting young people at the centre of sustainable development.