Sport as a Tool for Unity

This isn't so much news as a reminder of the power of sport, especially one as popular as football.

Last week, the United Nations said sport is much more than competition and winning trophies. This came out at the UN Headquarters in New York during a meeting that was considering the role of sport in achieving development and consolidating peace in post-conflict societies.

Developing countries and sport organizations have been urged to devote resources to sport activities as part of the global drive to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals.

The UN says in many societies, sport could prevent children from being used as soldiers in armed conflicts. It insists sport delivers hope in countries ravaged by war and enhances national reconciliation. Governments are urged to put more resources on sport activities to consolidate peace and expedite socio-economic development.

Sports associations have also been asked to emphasize the nation-building aspects of sport as their contribution to the UN's Millennium Development Goals. The forthcoming 2010 World Cup in South Africa has also been highlighted as another good opportunity to enhance development in the African continent.

China has undertaken to highlight issues of development when it hosts the Olympics next year.

Football in particular, due to its popularity and ease of play (all you need is a ball or a piece of cloth) can do so much more than make a crowd roar or bring joy to the masses. It can also provide hope, peace and a chance to share commonality with your fellow brothers and sisters. It's so much more than just a game.

The Enemy Within: An Update on South Africa's Preparations

South Africa's working hard to get itself ready for the 2010 World Cup.
The last thing the organizers need is a lack of focus from their partners.

This week, a scorching document proclaiming South Africa’s inability to stage the 2010 World Cup, which supposedly emanated from Europe's football governing body UEFA, was denounced as a forgery by Local Organizing Committee CEO Danny Jordaan.

“We have written confirmation of this from UEFA itself,” said Jordaan at a media briefing following a meeting of the LOC’s Board of Directors at Safa House in Johannesburg.

“What is more,” he added, “we have established the scurrilous document originates from within South Africa and is designed as a desperate attempt to derail our preparations for the World Cup by parties who are known to us.”

Jordaan, however, refused to name the alleged forgers.

Strange indeed. Why would someone try to derail the preparations for the World Cup? Whose interest does this serve?

On a happier note, The Board of Directors expressed satisfaction that the overall preparation for the 2010 World Cup and FIFA’s Confederation Cup in 2009 remained on track.

At the meeting, which was attended by FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke, an update on preparations for next month’s World Cup qualifying draw were also released — with the general secretary declaring it would be “of the highest level”, while attracting 3,000 assorted officials and media representatives.

LOC chairman Irvin Khoza said reports received after last week’s FIFA inspection tour of venues in four of the 2010 host cities were “very positive.”

“The last month has been very active for us at the LOC,” said Jordaan, “but also very rewarding. We have had an assortment of visitors extending from the Inspection team to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Franz Beckenbauer — and everyone came to the same conclusion that we are doing very well.”