BY TSWELOPELE MAKOE

As we embark on this year’s Women's Month, the 2024 Paris Olympics are well under way.

The landmark event gives athletes from all over the world an opportunity to exhibit their nations’ sporting capabilities, as well as their rich cultural tapestry, on an international stage.

Indeed, the exhilaration around the major global event, taking place only once every four years, is indisputable.

The Olympic Games aims to celebrate the proficiency of athletes globally and emulate a nation’s commitment to sustainability, inclusivity and accessibility in sports. The Olympics gives us a chance to showcase other sports that are often sidelined or overlooked in mainstream sports coverage.

This also gives other nations the opportunity to understand the ways in which different languages and localities influence one’s physical recreational activities.

In fact, the Olympics allows for smaller, lesser-known nations to exhibit their skills and cultures on an extensive international stage.

As such, there is a sense of legitimation and empowerment bestowed on athletes competing in the internationally revered competition.

The Olympics is, ultimately, shining a strikingly unique light on smaller global economies and cultures, which leads to an extraordinary impact on local and marginalised communities.

The Paris Olympics showcases the power of sport to transform, unite and inspire. It is not only the athletic prowess of a nation that is on full display but also the remarkable heritage of a nation.

This was especially highlighted during the entrance processions of the competing nations, where many teams were venerated for eloquently displaying their abundant cultures and heritage, especially through their outfits.

In Africa, one’s traditional attire is a statement of their heritage and an indication of their roots, a direct reference to their identity. Traditional clothing is representative of more than just locality, it speaks to the history, context and cultural identity of a person.

An example of this was the widespread admiration for the Mongolian team’s entrance outfits, which were designed upon the traditional Mongolian cloth called a Deel (of Del).

Another team that was trending in the style category was team Haiti. They wore specially tailored outfits inspired by their traditional wear and an esteemed Haitian artist, Phil-lippe Dodard.

The South Sudanese men’s basketball team almost broke the internet with their suave all-black ensembles, inspired by their national colours.

There were countless other nations that were praised for emulating their distinct national heritage in their entry attire, not only making a statement about their heritage and creativity but also emulating the ways in which age-old traditions are being embraced and celebrated in modern fashion.

The Olympics also showcases various types of sports that are prolific in some regions of the world. Many island nations have been especially prominent for their performance in oceanic sports such as rowing, canoe sprints, diving and sailing. Other nations have been popular for their performance in speedy sports such handball, triathlons, rhythmic gymnastics and fencing.

The Olympic Games has promoted unsung sports such as weightlifting, archery, table tennis and skateboarding, to name a few.

Across social media, there has been plentiful commentary on the contrast between mainstream, populated sports and other lesser recognised sports. Although this is often due to lack of broadcasted sports in some parts of the world, it is also due to a lack of resources that encourage participation in that sport.

Marginalised countries that have fewer resources for sports often do not have access to the facilities and necessary equipment required to partake in the sport. A good example of this is swimming.

In South Africa particularly, swimming pools (especially public ones) are a scarcity in non-metropolitan areas and, as such, innumerable people are not afforded the chance to learn how to swim.

This is the case with countless sports such as hockey, gymnastics, equestrian and fencing.

There are a multitude of reasons why sports are vital to our modern world and overall success. Economically, sports represent a billion-dollar industry that can significantly boost an economy, leading to increased job opportunities, infrastructural development and social stability.

Sports, particularly outdoor sports, are vital in bolstering the health of citizens. Not only does this result in better physical and mental health but it also decreases the rate of infections, illnesses and injuries, which is valuable to supporting nations with strained public health systems.

In South Africa, although approximately 42% of the nation regularly attends gym and more than 75% partake in regular exercise, including running and cycling.

Various studies have been undertaken on the rate and role of fitness in our society, showing that exercise is a major component of modern societies.

A widely underrated benefit of sport is the social cohesion created as a consequence. Team sports bring together people from various parts of society, with various backgrounds and world views.

In a multicultural, multi-ethnic, multiracial and multilingual context such as SA, this is vital to the constant improvement of social connections and community building. Sports teach society how to navigate laws, channel aggression in a healthy way, promote inclusion and collaborative efforts. Sports cultivate a sense of community within a society.

In South Africa, approximately 90% of the population watches major sporting events such as the Fifa World Cup and the Olympic Games.

Although we come from a contentious, inhumane history of apartheid, where our participation in sports was unstable at best, we have seen first-hand the impact of sports in breaking down societal divisions and uplifting collaboration, leadership and community in our society.

It is also vital that our leadership in our seventh national administration, particularly Gayton McKenzie, the newly minted minister of sports, arts and culture, uphold, strengthen and promote the development and participation of sports in our nations, particularly among younger generations.

So far, SA has secured four Olympic medals. This is a striking achievement not only for the athletes but for the nation as well.

Anytime every-day citizens are able to achieve great heights in sports, it is inspirational to our society. The likes of Caster Semenya, Siya Kolisi, Dricus du Plessis, Natalie du Toits are perfect examples of this.

It is also vital that we bolster local sporting groups and games as much as we promote mainstream ones.

We have a rich cultural tapestry, with countless sports that have been around long before colonialism. It is therefore pertinent that we bolster the sports in our modern society, emulating a distinct part of South African identity and paying homage to the cultures and activities that have led to our modern successes in sporting events.

The games have immense potential to impart vital skills and knowledge about ourselves and society at large.

Physical and mental sports, such as stick-fighting, legusha and morabarabay, create an opportunity for locals to tap into their heritage and bring back skills that are often undisclosed or overlooked in mainstream sports.

Sports upholds a pivotal role in society. They foster mental and physical health, promote social cohesion and unity and instil essential life skills required to become a strong, successful citizen.

Beyond the physical benefits, sports unite diverse cultures and communities, encouraging leadership, teamwork, discipline, emotional intelligence, resilience and so much more.

As a powerful vehicle for personal development, sports contribute significantly to the overall well-being and harmony of our societies.

Embracing and supporting sports at all levels has proved to lead to more vibrant, inclusive and healthier communities, a more persistent, encouraging and active citizenry and, ultimately, a revitalised society.

We have a responsibility to use sports to our advantage, to promote meaningful development and growth in our society. As Nelson Mandela once said: “Sports can unify, excite, frustrate and inspire us like nothing else.”

Tswelopele Makoe is a gender and social justice activist and the editor of Global South Media Network. She is a researcher and columnist, published weekly in the Sunday Independent, Independent Online (IOL), Global South Media Network, Sunday Tribune and Eswatini Daily News. She is also an Andrew W. Mellon scholar, pursuing an MA Ethics at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, UWC. The views expressed are her own.

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Beyond the Games: Sport is shaping a stronger society