How Football can help foster sustainable development among the marginalized

May 21, 2020

Sport, because of its pluralism, is an important vehicle for inspiring, engaging, and informing young people around the world. Sport is a cost-effective and versatile instrument for promoting goals of peace and prosperity.

Creating a sustainable world for everyone continues to be one of the 21st century’s biggest challenges and sport has played an important factor in achieving this dream. It has played a crucial role in improving each one of the eight objectives defined in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) since their creation in 2000. This has been acknowledged in multiple UN General Assembly resolutions. Sport’s role in promoting social change is further recognized in resolution 70/1, named “Transforming our world: the 2030 Plan for Sustainable Growth,” adopted in 2015.

Sport plays an important role in fostering equality and acceptance, and its contributions to empowering women and young citizens with the goals of fitness, education, and social involvement. It not only has a direct effect on physical conditioning, but it also instills healthier lifestyle habits among children and adolescents, while encouraging them to remain active and fight non-communicable diseases.

In recent years, the Indian society has undergone substantial economic growth which has led to significant shifts in its social constructs. The country’s achievement in attracting sporting mega-events has led the media to gradually represent their participation in various sports. The Indian government has provided incentives for recreation and physical fitness for underprivileged classes, and the people residing in a deprived society have gained from these changes.

Despite the various distinctions in the standards of livings and economic extravaganza, the power of sport among the marginalised groups of society has been genuine. Sport initiatives were a game-changing mechanism for bringing about societal change and acceptance among people and communities, particularly those marginalized and underserved. Also, the sport was successful in providing life skills to improve their quality of life and connect effectively to their well-being.

Sport has been incredibly important in delivering employability and poverty alleviation in developing nations. Individuals in sports training can gain a lot from it, like; it can be treated as an educational framework for human rights awareness, along with the right to an adequate quality of life and women’s equal opportunities. For example – Women’s football involvement is growing as awareness increases, and the demand for mixed-gender services is rising, which succeeds in fostering equality.

Football is a worldwide game. Football trails, as a sport is being used by organizations aiming to involve sport in growth for a long time. The sport’s success means a large community will be involved while striving for advancement within the sport. It needs very few types of equipment and there is also the option of playing without official instruments.

What makes it more attractive is the various formats that be used based on the room and number of players, for example, 5 on one-side. Several non-governmental organisations use Futsal, a down-scaled game normally played indoors by two groups of five. This flexibility is a special aspect of soccer, which helps reduce set-up costs for potential initiatives.

Although this involves coordination and collaboration, there are also qualities common with all sports, such as integrity and discipline. Being a member of a group will help cultivate a sense of identity that could be absent from the life of a young adult because they have grown older in a dysfunctional social setting.

Given the advantages this sport provides in terms of personal and social growth, growing exposure, and involvement is a primary objective of progress. Football in its most fundamental nature encourages fair participation and has the potential to motivate gender equality. Women’s engagement in this particular sport often contradicts the assumptions and generally related social expectations of women. It offers healthy opportunities at the grassroots and neighborhood levels through its commitment to reconciliation, where people are drawn together to promote shared ideals and interests; cultivate principles of fairness, equality, and fair play; and improve social skills. Football can strengthen relationships between communities irrespective of their culture, as a unifying theme and shared passion.

Despite various hardships, football’s immense transformative influence and enthusiasm will help to draw people together, encouraging a more prosperous and healthy world through its common ideals and beliefs. For centuries, football has played a major role in all communities and has functioned as a powerful medium for communication which can be used to foster a culture of sustainably developed society further.

HELP US MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE

CONNECTSPREAD THE WORD

Be a part of our mission to create a team of India's rising football stars

SUBSCRIBEKEEP IN TOUCH

Latest updates from the JMF on its mission to create excellence in football

    ©2024. All Rights Reserved | Developed by Buffalo Soldiers