WINDHOEK – A serious sports nation, Germany boasts 91 000 clubs under the auspices of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and every day is a ‘Day of Sport’.
However, the DOSB does not leave it at that and moves things worldwide as witnessed last Sunday, April 6, which was the ‘International Day of Sport for Development and Peace’. The day was celebrated worldwide for the first time and DOSB engaged itself with events organized by its seven international long- term projects, including the one in Namibia.
In Namibia, there are experts on the ground to help develop sports infrastructure with the support of the Federal Foreign Office. In order to create additional advertisement for women’s football in Namibia, the German long-term expert in the area of football, Klaus Stärk, organized an U-20 tourney together with the women’s division of the NFA. A total of 7 teams with close to 140 footballers were in action. The proud winners were the girls from the junior selection of the NFA who defeated the Eldorado Secondary School selection 1-0 in the final. The event was not solely about football however, since the organization ‘Score’ also held an extensive and informative session on the topic of alcohol and drug abuse for the participants before the start of the games.
The ‘International Day of Sport for Development and Peace’ premiered exactly 118 years after the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in 1896.
The United Nations designated the day as such during the UN General Assembly in August 2013.
Through this day the aims and spirit of the Olympic movement are underlined and it contributes to the promotion of a peaceful and better world, as well as educates young people in the spirit of friendship, solidarity and fairness without any form of discrimination.
The day further complements ‘Olympic Day’, which is celebrated annually on June 23 to honour the creation of the modern Olympic movement.
For the ‘International Day of Sport for Development and Peace’ five central ideals were formulized to make sport visible as a tool to promote peace and strengthen civil society. In the framework of these ideals numerous activities by different interest groups took place on the April 6 around the globe.
By staff reporter