The necessity of revising national sports policy
Saturday, 7 July 2007
The fundamental principle of state policy enshrined in article 15 of part ii of the constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh stipulates "a steady improvement in the material and cultural standard of living of the people". According to this principle, "the fundamental responsibility of the state" is to secure to the citizens of Bangladesh, among others, "the right to reasonable rest, recreation and leisure". In partial fulfillment of this constitutional obligation, the government of Bangladesh adopted the National Sports Policy in 1998. The fundamental objective of this policy is to ensure the facilities for practice of and participation in games and sports to the people of the country. For the purpose of the attainment of this objective the government will strive to find out and nourish talents in sports and work for the development of sports.
Though paragraph 1.6 of our national sports policy emphasizes that like other countries Bangladesh is committed to persue the eternal Olympic ideal and is determined to observe the rules and regulations of the IOC, yet it lacks commitment in environment and sustainable development which are two of the basic concerns of this World Sports Body. As Bangladesh is a member of the IOC, its National Olympic Committee, that is the Bangladesh Olympic Association, is under obligation to follow in letter and spirit Rule 2(13) of the Olympic Charter (2004) which is, "to encourage and support a reasonable concern for environmental issues to promote sustainable development in sport and to require that Olympic Games are held accordingly".
Inclusion of issues on environment and sustainable development in the National Sports Policy of Bangladesh is now, no doubt, a historical necessity. As a member of both the U.N.O and the IOC, Bangladesh should include these issues in its policy on sports to meet a historical necessity. Bangladesh became a member of the IOC in 1979. Back in 1972, the United Nations Conference on Human Environment was held in Stockholm with the participation of 113 governments. In the same year during the XX Games of Olympiad, organised under the supervision of the IOC in Munich, the NOC's planted a shurb on behalf of their respective countries in the Olympic Park, adjacent to game sites to signify "healthy competition in an intact environment".
In 1992, the United Nation Conference on Environment and Development, known as the "Earth Summit," was held in Rio de Janeiro. Here 184 governments at the highest political level adopted Agenda 21 on environmental sustainability and relationship between environment and economic development. Similarly, during the XXV Games of Olympiad in Barcelona in 1992, the IOC persuaded the International Federations of Sports and NOCs to sign the "Earth Pledge" to make the 'Earth a safe place to live on' while organising games and sports and practicing physical culture. In 1994 at the conclusion of the XVII Olympic winter Games in Lellihammer a cooperation agreement was signed between the United Nations Environment Programme and the IOC to take joint initiatives in environmental protection.
The Centennial Congress (know as the Congress of Unity) held in Paris in 1994, conceived the idea of creating a IOC Commission on Sports and Environment which was eventually established in the following year to give proper importance to the relationship between sports and environment. In the congress the Olympic Charter was amended by incorporating Olympic Movement's concern on environmental issues and sustainable development. It declared Environment as the third pillar of Olympism after Sports and Culture. The Earth Summit urged all international, regional and local organisations, both governmental and non-governmental, to formulate their own Agenda 21 on environment and sustainable development based on the model adopted by the UNCED in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
Accordingly, the IOC adopted its own Agenda 21 on these issues in its Seoul Session in 1999 which was endorsed by the IOC at the 3rd World Conference on Sport and Environment in Rio de Janeiro in the same year in the historic Rio Statement. The foregoing brief chronological analysis of the UNO-IOC joint initiatives on environment and sustainable development, if viewed in the Bangladesh perspective, will reveal that the government of Bangladesh has so far made some significant strides on these issues in a different way on different sphere of national life. The Ministry of Environment and Forest, the Department of Environment are working on the Agenda 21 of the UNEP. But unfortunately these vital issues are still awaiting incorporation in the national sports policy though some of our athletes have brought laurel for themselves and fame for the nation from regional and international sports competitions. Some of the sports disciplines practised in Bangladesh have by now shown potentialities in professionalism.
The parent Act on the regulation, development and coordination of sports in Bangladeshi-the National Sports Council Act, 1974, should be amended to include specific provision on sports, environment and sustainable development. The proposed amendment should give proper emphasis on the interrelationship between sports, environment and sustainable economic development in the light of both of the Agenda 21 of the UNEP and the IOC.
The National Sports Policy, 1998, needs revision with the incorporation of these issues in order to enable the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Council, the Bangladesh Olympic Association and all other affiliated and recognised national sports federations/associations to be guided by the Agenda 21 of the IOC while practicing sports and organising sports competitions.
Coming 2008 is going to be a year of great significance for Bangladesh in the context of games and sports. In this year Bangladesh will be the host of Indo-Bangladesh Games, Bangladesh Games and the SA Games. Besides, in the same year she will participate in the Beijing Game of Olympiad. In near future, Bangladesh may bid for a broader version of international sports competition. At present, the IOC requires the bidding cities to annex proper documentary evidence in support of their capability of environmental protection with the bid documents. This is one of the basic bidding criteria. The bid of a city to host the Games of Olympiad or the Olympic Winter Games cannot succeed if it becomes unsuccessful in the Environmental Impact Assessment, conducted by the IOC Sports and Environment Commission with the assistance of the UNEP.
Keeping the importance of 2008 in view from an athletic point of view, the competent authority may kindly take into consideration the much needed and long overdue revision of the Bangladesh National Sports Policy, 1998, giving proper weightage to the Agenda 21 of the IOC on Sports and Environment. Some of the bare essentials of which are:-
To practice sports with due respect to the socio- economic, geographical and climatic conditions and cultural and religious beliefs of persons involved in sports;
Any action programme related to sports should aim at improving socio-economic condition, conservation and management of resources for sustainable development;
Sports Policy should encourage promotion of sports facilities for those who are excluded from it for economic condition, sex, race and caste;
To develop sports infrastructure in marginalized region. Sports organisations and athletes are to be involved in health protection.
Air, water and soil are to be protected while creating sports infrastructure. Biosphere and Biodiversity is to be maintained.
The writer is a director of the Department of Passport of Bangladesh
Though paragraph 1.6 of our national sports policy emphasizes that like other countries Bangladesh is committed to persue the eternal Olympic ideal and is determined to observe the rules and regulations of the IOC, yet it lacks commitment in environment and sustainable development which are two of the basic concerns of this World Sports Body. As Bangladesh is a member of the IOC, its National Olympic Committee, that is the Bangladesh Olympic Association, is under obligation to follow in letter and spirit Rule 2(13) of the Olympic Charter (2004) which is, "to encourage and support a reasonable concern for environmental issues to promote sustainable development in sport and to require that Olympic Games are held accordingly".
Inclusion of issues on environment and sustainable development in the National Sports Policy of Bangladesh is now, no doubt, a historical necessity. As a member of both the U.N.O and the IOC, Bangladesh should include these issues in its policy on sports to meet a historical necessity. Bangladesh became a member of the IOC in 1979. Back in 1972, the United Nations Conference on Human Environment was held in Stockholm with the participation of 113 governments. In the same year during the XX Games of Olympiad, organised under the supervision of the IOC in Munich, the NOC's planted a shurb on behalf of their respective countries in the Olympic Park, adjacent to game sites to signify "healthy competition in an intact environment".
In 1992, the United Nation Conference on Environment and Development, known as the "Earth Summit," was held in Rio de Janeiro. Here 184 governments at the highest political level adopted Agenda 21 on environmental sustainability and relationship between environment and economic development. Similarly, during the XXV Games of Olympiad in Barcelona in 1992, the IOC persuaded the International Federations of Sports and NOCs to sign the "Earth Pledge" to make the 'Earth a safe place to live on' while organising games and sports and practicing physical culture. In 1994 at the conclusion of the XVII Olympic winter Games in Lellihammer a cooperation agreement was signed between the United Nations Environment Programme and the IOC to take joint initiatives in environmental protection.
The Centennial Congress (know as the Congress of Unity) held in Paris in 1994, conceived the idea of creating a IOC Commission on Sports and Environment which was eventually established in the following year to give proper importance to the relationship between sports and environment. In the congress the Olympic Charter was amended by incorporating Olympic Movement's concern on environmental issues and sustainable development. It declared Environment as the third pillar of Olympism after Sports and Culture. The Earth Summit urged all international, regional and local organisations, both governmental and non-governmental, to formulate their own Agenda 21 on environment and sustainable development based on the model adopted by the UNCED in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
Accordingly, the IOC adopted its own Agenda 21 on these issues in its Seoul Session in 1999 which was endorsed by the IOC at the 3rd World Conference on Sport and Environment in Rio de Janeiro in the same year in the historic Rio Statement. The foregoing brief chronological analysis of the UNO-IOC joint initiatives on environment and sustainable development, if viewed in the Bangladesh perspective, will reveal that the government of Bangladesh has so far made some significant strides on these issues in a different way on different sphere of national life. The Ministry of Environment and Forest, the Department of Environment are working on the Agenda 21 of the UNEP. But unfortunately these vital issues are still awaiting incorporation in the national sports policy though some of our athletes have brought laurel for themselves and fame for the nation from regional and international sports competitions. Some of the sports disciplines practised in Bangladesh have by now shown potentialities in professionalism.
The parent Act on the regulation, development and coordination of sports in Bangladeshi-the National Sports Council Act, 1974, should be amended to include specific provision on sports, environment and sustainable development. The proposed amendment should give proper emphasis on the interrelationship between sports, environment and sustainable economic development in the light of both of the Agenda 21 of the UNEP and the IOC.
The National Sports Policy, 1998, needs revision with the incorporation of these issues in order to enable the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Council, the Bangladesh Olympic Association and all other affiliated and recognised national sports federations/associations to be guided by the Agenda 21 of the IOC while practicing sports and organising sports competitions.
Coming 2008 is going to be a year of great significance for Bangladesh in the context of games and sports. In this year Bangladesh will be the host of Indo-Bangladesh Games, Bangladesh Games and the SA Games. Besides, in the same year she will participate in the Beijing Game of Olympiad. In near future, Bangladesh may bid for a broader version of international sports competition. At present, the IOC requires the bidding cities to annex proper documentary evidence in support of their capability of environmental protection with the bid documents. This is one of the basic bidding criteria. The bid of a city to host the Games of Olympiad or the Olympic Winter Games cannot succeed if it becomes unsuccessful in the Environmental Impact Assessment, conducted by the IOC Sports and Environment Commission with the assistance of the UNEP.
Keeping the importance of 2008 in view from an athletic point of view, the competent authority may kindly take into consideration the much needed and long overdue revision of the Bangladesh National Sports Policy, 1998, giving proper weightage to the Agenda 21 of the IOC on Sports and Environment. Some of the bare essentials of which are:-
To practice sports with due respect to the socio- economic, geographical and climatic conditions and cultural and religious beliefs of persons involved in sports;
Any action programme related to sports should aim at improving socio-economic condition, conservation and management of resources for sustainable development;
Sports Policy should encourage promotion of sports facilities for those who are excluded from it for economic condition, sex, race and caste;
To develop sports infrastructure in marginalized region. Sports organisations and athletes are to be involved in health protection.
Air, water and soil are to be protected while creating sports infrastructure. Biosphere and Biodiversity is to be maintained.
The writer is a director of the Department of Passport of Bangladesh