In a country where women are barely seen as the men’s counterparts in terms of sports and are paid less than half of the half, the Bangladesh U-19 women’s football team winning the SAAF championship seems to be a miracle.
This triumph of the women’s junior football team, one of the greatest achievements in the country’s football history, has been able to show one thing clearly - sports can be the tool for eradicating inequality and giving a forward push to those who are lagging.
Sports generate economic benefits not only in terms of money but also in terms of tangential benefits. Let’s try to understand how.
Scope for the underprivileged families
Using sports to engage underprivileged children can be a good initiative to focus on the overall development of these kids.
These children are often excluded from making decisions on their future careers due to a lack of support from schools as well as financial instability.
Roton Ahmed lives in the Dhanmondi slum and is a thirteen-year-old who is in class five and attends a JAAGO-sponsored free school, shared -
“Every evening, I visit Abahani field to watch the cricket practice sessions and learn from them. I play with my friends and the elder brothers of our area. Playing cricket has become my biggest hobby and it also assists me to stay collective throughout the day. At the end of the day, I enjoy studying with a fresh mind ".
Roton’s words might seem nothing out of the ordinary if you don’t fathom them properly. His interest in sports shows that it can help these youths develop holistically by assisting their social, emotional, mental and physical development.
It will help the youngsters develop their capacity to communicate effectively, work well in a team, and learn to respect their teammates and opponents.
Playing sports will promote the ideals of friendship, inclusivity and cooperation even more and have an impact on the development of motor skills as well as educational capacity.
As a result, these underprivileged children will gain self-confidence and learn to bear leadership responsibilities.
“Due to financial constraints, I had to drop out of sixth grade. However, my mother saw my enthusiasm for cricket, but as a domestic helper, she could not get me into any cricket coaching.”
“Later on, over the years, she saved and borrowed money and got me into Abahani Cricket Academy. Today I play in district tournaments and earn money, and I can support my mother to afford the necessities,” shared Mozammel Kabir, a cricket player at Abahani Cricket Academy.
Such an opportunity eases the monetary burden for many struggling sports fanatics like Mozammel Kabir.
Sports, providing tangential benefits in different nations
In Tanzania, Sports has been demonstrated to play a positive role in promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and reducing the transmission of the disease.
A United Nations Research conducted in Tanzania revealed that when compared to children who had just engaged in the school-based national curriculum, children who participated in HIV/AIDS education programming through sport-focused peer coaching displayed improved knowledge of and intentions toward safe behaviour.
Similarly, a report by United Nations revealed that sport-based programming offered an opportunity for girls and young women in Delhi, India, to gain vital reproductive health knowledge while also improving their confidence, social standing, and relationships, despite extremely patriarchal social norms.
Paving the way towards the development of sports
In Rwanda, an organisation named ‘Right to Play’ founded by Ohann Olav Koss, a four-time Olympic medallist, aims to use sports programmes to educate children about leadership, health issues, and job prospects.
These are implemented by volunteer coaches. Right to Play increased school enrolment and attendance by bringing after-school programmes to underprivileged regions. In Rwanda, students who participated in Right to Play's activities had a ninety-five per cent school attendance rate.
While projects like Right to Play cannot address all of a country's problems, they can help to bring about constructive change.
Bangladesh might take inspiration from them as these groups create inclusive economies by educating the youth and supporting equality for all genders, religions, and creeds.
According to the United Nations, sport is a human right and is crucial for childhood development. Individuals of all ages can live healthier and happier life by using sport to combat poverty. It also enhances the individual's ability to make quick decisions and improves cognition.
Nevertheless, Bangladesh is progressing towards inclusive sports for development. For instance, Bangladesh’s women's football teams have been a source of national pride with their winning streak in recent years.
However, in a conservative society, forming these teams has never been simple. Young female football players, who are largely from underprivileged rural backgrounds, sometimes have to overcome family opposition and social ills such as child marriage, to begin and continue playing the sport.
Therefore, Sports can be a powerful tool in the field of development in Bangladesh. Given the integral values of teamwork and fair play, it helps to build self-esteem and provides opportunities for the prejudiced.
Sadia Karim is an undergraduate student studying Economics at East West University.
sadiakarim98@gmail.com