After winning the bid for the 2012 Olympic games, the UK promised to share a part of the funds to promote sports in developing countries, and that money is now beginning to trickle into Maharashtra.
Starting a new project called Sports in Development, the state government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are collaborating with the UNICEF to use sports to introduce health and developmental concepts among children and youth. The project would be executed through schools and community which will eventually become a place for spreading various social messages. Moreover, it also aims at inculcating team building and leadership qualities among youth which will lead to their involvement in community programmes.
In Mumbai, seven wards would also be implementing the project. We will be implementing the project along with UNICEF, said Chandrashekhar Rokade, joint municipal commissioner (education).
Currently, coaches are being trained for the purpose. The first such training for 30 participants including teachers, volunteers and community members¿ has recently concluded in Chandrapur district. The idea is to create sports coaches who will not only train children and youth in various sports but spread development messages as well. Sports will be an integral part around which health, education and sanitation messages can be revolved, said Gopi Menon, UNICEF Maharashtra chief. The plan is to use sports to inculcate team building and leadership qualities, Menon added.
According to the project, the trainers, which include teachers, volunteers and community workers, will be given a sports kit. The plan, eventually, envisages a playground for each village where youth and children can assemble. It becomes an arena for youth to discuss issues and spread awareness on topics like HIV and malnutrition, said Angela Walker, chief communication officer, UNICEF India.
We implemented a similar thing in Africa and it really benefited the children there. It was able to break through the social class structures. We found that poor children could use their sports achievement to get into college, or at least they stayed a year longer in school, said Walker. Moreover, there were other tangible results like community participation, increased use of condoms, and reduction in HIV prevalence, Walker added.