By Abdi Ali
Published September 10, 2019
Sport has ‘unparalleled potential’ to boost equality and peace.
Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth, says the wide appeal and reach of sport can be used to accelerate progress in areas such as gender equity and political inclusivity.
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“With the spirit of goodwill and through the respect and understanding which are signature characteristics of the Commonwealth Sport Movement, mutual encouragement flourishes across boundaries of regional and national affiliation or other allegiances of culture or identity,” Scotland said in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, during a Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly. “I am strongly committed personally in my determination to mobilise additional resources to ensure more communities throughout the Commonwealth can benefit from the positive contribution the most popular of our Commonwealth sports can make.”
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Louise Martin, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said, “All of us across the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Sports Movement must work hard to shift the dial on human rights and mega sporting events. Put simply, we are 100 per cent committed to upholding the ideals and principles that underpin our respect and protection of human rights in all that we do. It starts with our vision – to create peaceful, sustainable and prosperous communities through sport. It is this mantra that guides the joined-up vision of Commonwealth sport. Indeed, it is a vision that underpins the Commonwealth itself – a voluntary association of 71 nations and territories. Among our membership are some of the world’s largest and smallest countries, from India, with over 1.2 billion people to Nauru with a population of 10,000. Our combined population of 2.4 billion represents a third of the world’s total population. More than 60 per cent of Commonwealth citizens are young people aged under 30.”
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The 2022 Commonwealth Games was singled out by delegates as an example of how sport can contribute towards the Commonwealth’s values and principles. The Games in Birmingham, UK, is expected to feature more women’s medals events than men’s and what is being touted as the largest para-sport programme in Games history.
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