‘Sport can promote social change.’ Is this statement true?

A sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an

individual or team competes against another or others. A wide range
of sports was already established by the time of Ancient Greece
which marked the beginning of competition in sport. Still, the word in
old English means ‘anything humans find amusing or entertaining’. The
following paragraphs will show why sport is an agent for social
change.

• Sport is a unifying factor for all classes in society and can mobilise people into
action nationally, especially during international sporting events.
• Sport is a ‘universal language’ that transcends language and cultural barriers
• Sports personalities can publicise health (HIV) and social (anti-racism) messages
in their own societies as well as throughout the world.
• Through sport, women can achieve recognition and possibly reduce gender
inequality/Paralympics?
• Young people can escape the influence of gangs, drugs and crime through
involvement in sports and discover new role models.
• Some might argue/It can be said/noted/argued that… sports are more neutral than
political or religious groups and therefore are a more effective agent of social
change.
• Private sponsors of sports often include a community element within their
sponsorship programmes.
 Violent/dangerous sports enable people to get rid of their violent impulse in a
healthy way without affecting society. Violence can be curbed through strict
laws of a game. ***
1. Hatred and xenophobic feelings are enhanced in international competitions-
Hooliganism-(Russia and England: EURO 2016)
2. Use of drugs-Doping remains problematic (cyclist- Armstrong)
3. Competition in a different form-feeling of superiority.
4. Violent sports incite people to indulge in violent acts/copycat crimes-wrestling?
a wrong valorisation of violence
5. Sports thrive betting and corruption-fixing games and money laundering.

CONCLUSION: It is undeniable that sport affects society in a more

positive than negative way. While the media driven by sensationalism
uses the popularity of sport among nations to bring iconic sportsmen and
their feats, it is up to them as well to combine not business only with
pleasure but morality as well through awareness on qualities like
equality, fairness and tolerance which tend to be severely missing in the
current world.