The term sport was derived from the French word Desport, meaning leisure, which in English defines something that humans find amusing and entertaining. Human race started sports as early as 2000 BC as suggested by artifacts, as there is a just importance for it.
Civilizations thrive on its own terms and conditions; different ages have cultivated different value systems culminating into, what we have now, society.The society, in order to perpetuate its own traditions and proper functioning, has come up with ingenious ideas, of which, culture, tradition, customs, and sports are few natural corollaries.While the first three are naturally sustained as ways of life, the last one requires constant impetus and initiatives.
Sports, though a thriving mode of entertainment since the twentieth century, often goes unheeded despite its unfathomable benefit. The showbiz culture has considerably restricted sports activities to only cricket and football and promotes its one-sided entertaining values. Whereas, sports have always held a strong cultural tradition since the ancient times and are possessive of manifold advantages.
Why we need Sports in our lives
When we say we need sports in our lives we mean its all-encompassing aspect; not only do we require to organize sports events but active participation in the same is equally demanding.Both the organization and participation lead to an overall growth of the individual minds and the collective society.
- Promotes a Healthy Life:
Little do we need to be reminded how important it is for us to remain healthy. It is beyond debate that sports and physical activities can improve your life and extend your life expectancy. Both children and adults need to be indulged in sports activities to promote good health and fitness. The society needs to take upon itself some responsibilities by organizing awareness programs to inculcate the values of sports, followed by an actual event. Not just in society, we should also motivate our family members to take part in regular sports and teach them its significance. This is the little we can do to make sure our community and the loved ones are able to lead a healthy life.
- Prevention of Diseases:
There has been an alarming slump in the global statistics of physical inactivity, leading to the people inviting premature death and increasing heart failures.By promoting sports in society, especially among the children, such risks of diseases can be prevented.Perpetual involvement in physical activities can prevent the possibilities of hypertension, diabetes, heart stroke, colon cancer, and other chronic disabling conditions.Needless to point out that it also helps in reducing weight, cure obesity and promotes stamina and psychological well being of a person.
- Recreational Functions:
The mundane routine of our daily lives is a big imposition on us and we need to seek every opportunity to break the monotony so that a healthy functioning of our mind is assured. Sports can offer a brilliant recreation without having to travel far and spend uselessly. Sports events can be organized in the locality. The employers in an office often decide on taking a day off and arrange for sports activities.No picnic baskets are ever unaccompanied by a set of cricket bats or a game of badminton. The much canonized “The Sports Day” in every school is a treasured testimony of how important sports have always been; not only for the students but sports segments are also allotted for teachers, staffs, and guardians. Besides being active participants in different kinds of sports, the event offers a recreation for children and adults indiscriminately.
- Fosters Communal Feelings:
As has already been pointed out, sports always carry a relevant social significance. Organizing of sports is a collective effort and therefore, fosters active social participation of the entire community, be it in the neighborhood, club or in schools.Several people together are brought together and are compelled to work in the union which is one step into mutual harmonious coexistence. Keeping distance from each other is a cakewalk in the present century and one could easily care less about the other. But living in a community requires a strong maintenance of bonds. Since times ancient, sports have served this purpose of bringing people from several strata of the society and has paved an allowance for the free intermingling of people.Thus sports constitute this carnivalesque function where society achieves a lucid and fluid vessel where different people communicate with each other.
Steps required to Promote the development of Sports
- The parents need to cultivate in their children the knack for sports besides academic excellence.
- The schools, colleges, clubs and other social institutions are required to organize regular sports so that an awareness, as well as a motivation, is created amongst the people.
- There is a need for strong political commitment and support at all levels in order to develop and sustain sports activity initiatives and programmes.Therefore it has become imperative to move beyond motivating individuals and start reaching out to the policymakers to implement the wider application of sports in a country.
- The health sectors can offer its advocacy on health, social and economic benefits of sports. It can also employ health professional for counseling in favor of physical activities.
- The sports sector can come up with programmes like Sports For All to promote sports activities in all the classes of society irrespective of caste, creed, race, and gender.
- The Local Self-Government can take initiatives and offer safe indoor and outdoor spaces for the practice and organization of sports.
- The media can help in to disseminate the ideas on sports and host shows that tells how sports can help individuals.The media appeal has a wider reach and can contribute by inviting a large section of the population (especially the youth) into participating in sports.
Need to revive traditional Sports in India
The history of sports in India can be traced back to the Vedic age. India being a repository of intense cultural heritage owes much the traditional sports. Therefore, it would be a fruitful attempt to dig out the traditional games and sports and promote the same among the contemporary souls.Traditional games like Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Kite Flying, Vallamkali, Gilli Danda, etc are now only restricted to regional gaming activities, most of which are unknown to the children nowadays.Being born in India, we are under obligation to actually know about these sports and practice them in real life. The government can take initiatives to foster a national sensation in the citizens by reviving the ancient sports of India and promoting them as important as cricket and soccer.
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