By Ebere Amaraizu
Sports is one of the most essential activities of human beings. It is one activity that has so many characteristics and dimensions. As a competitive activity, it sharpens the spirit of win or lose, which is an indispensable part of business in general. It enhances relationships among the direct and indirect participants, and sustains the hope of success-now or later. It is also an exercise that is necessary for the psycho-physical fitness of man thus helping to maintain physical ability and also improve skills. Its metaphysical dimension underlies the unifying nature which enables one to be truly and fully one in oneself (body, mind and spirit). Unite in body and spirit with others as a team, be one in collective aspiration and expectation. The Social dimension one among all and all with one. Then the lubrication of solidarity and economic proceeds.
Indeed, sports is globally acknowledged as a potential tools for unity, socio-economic and national development. Today in our communities especially during festive periods, there is organization of inter-village/community football and sports competitions to enhance unity and also fish out young fresh talents. But not much can be said to have been really done to optimize full potentialities of sports considering the abundance of human and material resources in our society in which the blame is heaped on institutional management and leadership challenges amongst other factors.
It is pertinent to point out that these challenges must be tackled in order to get it right by understanding and reflecting on the core values of sports which includes fair play, social justice, discipline, self discovery, creation of employment opportunities, promotion of culture, means of enhancing education, instrument for driving national ideology and rebranding. Others include promotion of sports business for economic development, promotion of gender equality and women empowerment, promotion of social mobilization, harmony and national integration, promoting the ideals of democracy and rule of law, promotion of sustainable fitness and good health, enhancement of international respect/image, provision of entertainment for the public and development of competitive attributes.
In the light of the above, care must be taken to help actualize these core values of sports and utilize them as a powerful tool to enhance national peace, unity and socio-economic development. It therefore means that sports must be given the desired attention by all tiers of government, all stakeholders must adopt best practices in the administration of sports in our country. Another area is statutory provisions to enhance sports development in schools and communities including the administration of sports by professionally trained personnel to ensure adherence to sports policies, statutes and maximal use of resources. Remember that: SPORTS IS A UNIFYING FACTOR.
**The writer, CSP Ebere Amaraizu is a Coach/Sports Administrator. He is currently the South East Director of the Nigeria Nationwideleagueone(NLO), the cradle of Nigerian Football.
