International Day of Sport For Development and Peace

This day is an annual event celebrated on April 6th. It has been established by the UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) since 2013 to draw global attention to sports influence on people’s health and peace. Moreover, sports drive us towards social development as we learn valuable assets when we play together on the field, things like teamwork, resilience and communication. April 6th also commemorates the opening of the first modern Olympic games in Athens 1896.

Did you know? Interesting facts about the first Olympic games :

The games were held in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, it is the only stadium in the world that’s built completely out of white astonishing marble! Only 14 countries participated in the Olympics and the winners got silver medals instead of gold (golden metals started after some years). The games almost didn’t happen due to Greece’s financial hardships at that time, but it was saved by a wealthy Greek named Georgios Averoff paid the funds necessary to restore the stadium and start the games. The United states won the first place and Greece the second ( top 2 by overall medal count).

Why does sport matter?

As I mentioned before, sports have a great influence on social development and breaking down barriers between people and countries on a larger scale.

It teaches us how to communicate effectively and lead towards success, how to think strategically and handle stress. Many great friendships were started on the sports field. Playing a good game with your friends can greatly build your confidence and sharpen your motives. It creates a sense of shared identity between people, driving more development in in many other fields of life- a united community works towards better education, agriculture & manufacturing.

Sports defies social barriers of race & color, as we set aside our differences and thrive towards a common goal. It also defies false stereotypes that are set up about disabilities, Special Olympics normalized the diversity of our abilities.

Sports create channels to pour aggression safely and effectively rather than committing crimes, as proved by the United Kingdom’s community-based sports programs targeting at-risk youth have demonstrated measurable impacts on crime reduction.

Be a part of it:

It doesn’t take much, you can join a local sports club, or volunteer to fund the continuity of it, some clubs/organizations struggle to cover the little costs of their activities. Gather your neighborhood friends and play something new outdoors!

References:

-United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace. (2015). Sport for Development and Peace: Towards Achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

-Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. (2019). Sport for Good Impact Report.

-Young, D. C. (1996). The Modern Olympics: A Struggle for Revival. Johns Hopkins University Press.

-United Nations – Sport for Development and Peace reports.