Sport and Faith
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03/09/2010
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Experts at the Global Sports Forum Barcelona presented the history of humanity as one of an inextricable connection between body, mind and spirit. A lot of attention is paid to the physical and psychological aspects of sport but it is also important to consider the role of the spiritual too.
Tomeu Catala, President Project Home Balears: we do everything including sport as beings with these three elements and religion is at least as important. “What’s the point of winning if you lose yourself and you lose contact with people.”
Mark Dowd, Writer and Broadcaster: “The word religion has its roots in the concept of reconnection either with the sacred or with each other. When we take part of watch sport we connect with millions of friends and family around the planet.”
Hicham El Guerrouj, Moroccan Olympic Athletics Champion, Member IOC Athlete’s Commission: “As a practising Muslin, faith was at the centre of my sports career. My faith helped me recover my belief in God and in myself after defeats in Atlanta and Sydney. In Athens I won and I credit much of that success to my faith.”
John Naber, US Olympic Swimming Gold Medallist. “Every sportsman is told to think positively and believe in ourselves, but faith gives us something outside ourselves to believe in.”
