(Originally published Feb 23rd, 2020)
As a Greek proverb says: “healthy soul in a healthy body”
Sport, in its simplest form, is one of the most extraordinary of human activities.Sport increases the concentrating power, it helps our nervous system to increase its spontaneity. It helps our mind to remain fresh, increases our retaining power. All in all, it increases the overall efficiency of the brain.
In an age where the focus seems increasingly to be on the final outcome rather than the journey, Sport at the Service of Humanity is a reminder of what really matters in life: Compassion, Respect, Love, Enlightenment, Balance and Joy.
Every person, no matter what their faith or background, has the capacity to embrace and live by these core principles, though many have forgotten their importance. By bringing them back to sport and by encouraging all athletes, and sports organizations, whether they be professional or amateur, to embrace these fundamental values, we will begin to shift hearts and minds.
As far as education is concerned, sport is an important part of every child's schooling, as it plays a big role in both their physical and mental development. It teaches children how to work as a part of a team and cooperate with others, while at the same time improving physical condition. The only drawback to this is that children who are less able to perform well in sport are likely to feel inadequate in comparison to their more gifted classmates, which may affect their self-confidence.
Faith is perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of humankind – the belief that we exist and function for a purpose; and that we can live in a way that enhances not only our lives, but also the lives of those around us.
Sport imposes rules that point to a fair contest, equal opportunities for all, entertainment and enjoyment, and provides participants with the opportunity to stretch their physical and mental limits, share common values and experiences.
Sport provides an opportunity to combine the emotion of faith and sport into a powerful force that can make a real difference to our world. We want to create a voice for honesty, inclusion and acceptance, and remind people of how incredible it feels to do and be good. We want to remind people that whether in sport or in life, what’s important is how you play the game, not about whether you win. These are important factors for anyone involved in sport to consider, either before you get involved or while you’re in it.
At the end of the day, it is the moments in life and what we do with them, how we treat others and how we treat ourselves that make the difference and define who we are as a society – both in our communities and on a national and global scale.
How brilliant it would be to have National Sports System that coordinates the work of different ministries (e.g. health, education, culture, sport) across sectors . It should also recognize that all sports are important: whether they are being played by youngsters at school or elite professional athletes.
The right balance of investment is needed to ensure that everyone, everywhere, has the chance to get involved, whenever they wish. The Carnival season should be done and dusted within a few days and as it has been historically, while the rest of the world has gone about with serious business from the start of the new year, we here in T&T will now officially begin focusing again, perhaps forced to play catch up with the rest. Hopefully we can include some of these items I've written about on our agenda as we step in the ring to take on what 2020 has to throw at us.
