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During ancient times the community in Sri Lanka enjoyed participating at traditional games and sports at national occasions, village festivals and during leisure times. Modern sports; cricket, foot ball, hockey, golf, etc. were introduced to Sri Lanka after British domination. With the introduction of Western games, the place occupied by traditional sports in society gradually declined and modern sports became popular even in rural regions.
Today sports have grown into a wider spectrum covering a large number of modern sports, games and physical exercises. Over the years, the role of the sports sector also expanded to achieve a range of objectives in the fields of economic and human development. Accordingly, sports have become an essential element and a strong instrument in attaining development and building peace among ethnic communities and social groups 
within countries. It also has contributed in developing international relations in the world.
To emphasise this significant role, a joint Forum of United Nations and International Olympic Committee in June 2013 declared 6 April as the ‘International Day of Sports for Development and Peace’. This declaration draw the attention of leaders and sports associations around the world on their obligation to strengthen the sports sector in such a way that it contributes for the development initiatives and peace building efforts meaningfully.
The principle objective of the ‘International Day of Sports for Development and Peace’ is to promote this message across the globe and create an enabling environment, ensuring the increased participation of children and youth in sports with the intention of promoting development and peace building interventions.
Sports as a driver for economic development
Children and youth, the most important human resource in a country, are expected to take over society-bound responsibilities when they grow adults. In order to make them a productive work force, they need to be physically fit and psychologically healthy. Research has found that regularly engaging in physical exercises and sports prevents children from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, depression, hypertension, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, children and youth who appear to be physically healthy might suffer from psychological disorders; stress, tension, unrest, anger and dissatisfaction. The World Health Organisation states that one in every four patients has one or several mental disorders. Sports play a vital role in reducing such mental disorders in children.
Sports contribute remarkably in reducing physical and mental ailments and creating fitness in young people, enabling them to embark on national responsibilities. Sports and physical education have greater potential in increasing the productivity of youth. Increased productivity significantly contributes to increased outputs to the economy.
There are a substantial number of core skills acquired by children through regular involvement in sports and physical activities. Among them, team spirit, leadership qualities, punctuality, communication, and cooperation, problem solving skills, building self respect and self esteem and respecting others are attributable skills to sports. Employers seek people with such competencies rather than brilliant academics.
When children are used to engaging in sports, they do not get involved in anti-social activities such as taking alcohol, drugs, smoking and committing crimes. Countries have experienced that increased participation in sports enhances the academic successes of children through development of memory and concentration of mind rather than non-participating children.
Another important area that deserves mention is production of services and goods required for sports, in turn supporting the creation of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). When sports and physical activities are boosted, there will be enhanced demand for production of sports-related instruments, equipment and services, providing opportunities for new SMEs to come up. Enterprise development is another added advantage which would create employment opportunities. Reinforcing universal values and ethics, promoting international trade and tourism development are other positive contributions of the sports sector for expansion of the economy.
Sports in attaining social harmony
Sports work as a driver for building social harmony. Societies have social and economic barriers that would lead to affect the unity of countries. Social barriers may be ethnic, religious, linguistic, caste or class differences in a society. Economic obstacles are remote geographic location, lack of infrastructure, services, facilities and information. Such fragmentations act as hindrances for the progressive proceed of a nation towards development. Prejudices and rivalries prevailing among community groups towards each other lead to further aggravation of those segregations.
One of the strategic interventions to get these fragmented groups into one platform is sports. Accommodating members from different groups in team sports promotes cooperation, social relations, communication, tolerance and peaceful conflict resolution within the team. They might have different interests, cultures, ethnicity and languages; but in a game they play for a common goal following the rules and regulations of that particular game. Skills they acquire and friendships they create through sports last long right through their lifespan.
This has proved effective in Sri Lanka after the conflict and some other parts of the world. Jamaica is an ideal example where sports contributed in the establishment of peace among its city dwellers. Sports bring people together from remote villages to international level. Apart from the participating players in a game, millions of spectators rally round to sport grounds to enjoy the game, ignoring all such barriers.
Scenario in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a multi ethnic and multi religious country with a diverse culture. Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims have been living in harmony for centuries in this country. However, distrust, fear and rivalries which developed among the three communities owing to the internal conflict are not yet fully cured. A variety of programs have been introduced followed by encouraging results in terms of economic development and building social harmony. Still there remain many more to address in war-ravaged areas.
In the meantime, the Government target is to develop the country to one of the 30 top developed economies with US$ 100 billion GDP in the near future. To achieve this challenging goal, the country needs to have a productive work force whose capacity should be double that of present workers. A/L and O/L qualified school-leaving youth and university graduates in the Arts stream annually adding to labour force lack the practical skills required to participate in socioeconomic interventions efficiently in the world of work.
Pressure on children for academic achievements prevents them from participating in sports. Physical education receives less attention in the school curricula. Children and youth in the rural countryside do not have adequate opportunities to explore their potential due to lack of facilities. Women participation in sports is comparatively low. Some of the reputed games receive prominent support while traditional sports have inadequate attention.
Horizontal coordination among state ministries and sports associations and vertical coordination from national level to grass root level appears to not be up to satisfactory level. It is against this background that the potential of the sports sector needs to be explored in Sri Lanka. This background provides Sri Lanka a strong basis to promote sports and physical education to achieve development and peace-building objectives.
Conclusion
‘The International Day of Sports for Development and Peace’ should not be limited to another symbolic day consisting of several events and programs. The Ministry of Sports having the mandate to develop the sport sector has already introduced several progressive steps including the preparation of a Sport Sector Policy. Among other steps, provision of State support for selected key sports, training of coaches and attaching them to institutions at sub national level, providing facilities to rural areas for the benefit of rural children and construction of sports grounds and stadiums in other parts of the country are commendable.
The Ministry of Sports essentially needs the active support of other relevant ministries dealing with youth. The Ministries of Youth Affairs and Skills Development, Higher Education and Education and sports associations at national level need to extend their cooperation and provide inputs to design and implement an overall comprehensive sport development strategy along with a solid medium term program based on the Sports Policy. These Ministries and organisations with their substantial experience on the aspirations and interests of children and youth can intervene and provide inputs, addressing the shortcomings inherent in the sports sector.
Shortcomings observed in the sports sector in Sri Lanka are basically twofold. Some of the issues are concerned with attitudes of children and parents. Parents encourage their children towards academic achievements. Both students and parents do not perceive the significance of striking a balance between education and sports. From childhood onwards children use most of their time for academic studies. They do not have adequate time for extracurricular activities and sports that help develop life skills.
Children who have access to television and computers watch television and play computer games excessively. This trend has long-term harmful effects on the country since such children are subsequently left with educational qualifications but lacking required practical skills to productively engage in social activities. Mere educational qualifications would not suffice to become a potential employee. Employers look for youth with important attributes and skills rather than those with outstanding academic qualifications for their organisations since they are the success performers.
Sri Lanka is proud to have a variety of sports, games and extracurricular activities in a number of fields, from traditional Sri Lankan games to reputed modern games. There is a felt need to promote traditional games as well and have fair treatment through State support in allocating funds and facilities at least for a few most popular traditional games. At the same time, State support should be extended to schools and organisations at grass root level. Most of the brilliant players in many sports have been produced by the schools in rural regions where facilities, equipment and coaches are scarce compared to urban schools. Providing facilities to schools in the country side rural children can improve their potential.
In other countries, children are trained in stages since inception. In each stage they are trained and educated on different pieces of physical literacy, enabling them to gradually grasp knowledge and skills pertaining to actions, fundamentals, training, playing, competing, wining and ethics in sports. Among these, the most important area needing attention in Sri Lanka is developing moral values of sports among children.
Ending competitions under disastrous circumstances is a common experience in many sport competitions taking place between reputed schools. The sole purpose of our students in participating at games is to win and bring trophies and medals. Fundamental requirements of sports are participation, playing games well and taking both victory and defeat in the same spirit. Over-joy in victory and disappointment in defeat is not expected from properly trained and tamed players. Coaches must be educated to train the children on these important ethical values of sports. Such training from childhood in the school would contribute to avoid violent behaviour of players.
It is reported that incidences of anti-social activities like using alcohol, drugs and smoking even among school children are on the rising trend. Sports is an ideal tool when handled properly, preventing children from getting addicted to anti social behaviour. Another area needing attention is inadequate involvement of females in active sports. Schools at local level and the Youth Service Council along with local authorities can intervene to promote female participation in sports.
Sports and physical literacy has many advantages to society and the economy. Sports provide pleasure, fun and recreation for society. Sports help individuals to become productive citizens. Strengthening the sports sector and its network for increased participation of children and youth would contribute sustainable economic prosperity and social harmony in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has the golden opportunity of hosting the forthcoming third Asian Youth Games Festival in 2017. The event will be held in the southern city of Hambantota. There are 15 sports included in the event and around 2,500 athletes from 45 countries are expected to participate. In view of this exciting international event, the Ministry of Sports together with Ministries of Education, Youth Affairs and Skills Development is making overall arrangements, including preparation of a three-year program, selection of Sri Lankan participants, publicity, awareness creation and logistics. Guidelines have been issued and the selection process of Sri Lankan participants at different levels is in progress. Sports-related representatives of provincial councils and zone offices of the Education Ministry extend cooperation at sub-national level in the whole process.
While intending to win a higher number of medals and gain economic benefits to Sri Lanka, we should determine to use this rare opportunity to the maximum in drawing experience and lessons for the constructive development of the sports sector, benefitting the country in the long run.
(The writer is the Deputy Minister of Education. He can be reached via [email protected].)
