The South as the new frontier for sport
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03/09/2010
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Leading figures from the worlds of sport and social development came together at the 2010 Global Sports Forum in Barcelona to discuss the Southern Hemisphere's growing importance as a host of sporting mega-events, describing it as an inevitable outcome of the region's rapid economic growth.
With the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics both going to Brazil, Harold Mayne-Nicholls, President of the Chilean Football Association, said there would be massive benefits to all countries in Latin America: "There will be great improvements in infrastructure and technology because Brazil is the region's biggest economy. Most of all our people will have the chance to be directly involved."
Andisa Ntsubane, Senior Manager Group Sponsorship at Standard Bank, was equally upbeat about the 2010 South Africa World Cup - which his company sponsors: "This is Africa's World Cup - not just South Africa's. It's an important part of the country's rehabiliatiton process and the perfect opportunity for us to showcase the social and economic dynamism of the continent."
Poul Hansen, Head of Office on Sport for Development and Peace at The United Nations said: "The UN is an absolute believer in the role of sport in driving development goals. There are many examples of how sport acts as a tool of social change and nation-building. A recent example is the work being done by sports federations in Haiti."
On a similar note, Harold Mayne-Nicholls paid a warm tribute to the global football family for its show of support after the recent earthqauke in his own country. "We will never forgot the level of solidarity we received from all around the world."
