National Sports Day 2024 and our Environment

Dr N Munal Meitei *

Winners don’t wait for chances but take them. Sports play a significant role in our present world. A person who engages himself in sports sustains a healthy and wealthy lifestyle. It not only fosters health but keeps our mind fit. Outstanding achievements knock on the door when one is healthy enough to pass all the hurdles in life.

National Sports Day is celebrated on 29th August starting since 2012 on the birth day of Major Dhyan Chand, the hockey legend to embrace sportsmanship and brotherhood that comers sports. The theme for 2024 is ‘Sport for the Promotion of Peaceful and Inclusive Societies.’

This theme highlights how sports can bring people together, promote understanding and build a strong and healthy nation. Sports encourage teamwork, unity and help to break down social barriers. This day marks the journey of every sportsman who made the country proud through their many years of sweat and hard work.

On this day, the President of India distributes awards to the outstanding sports persons with the prestigious awards like Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award, Dhyan Chand Award etc.

On such an auspicious day, my discussion will be on the meeting point of the sports with environment. Sport occupies a special place in modem life, with millions of people around the world participating and watching in their favorite games.

But ironically, despite its ability to entertain and promote health, sports also degrade our environment. To combat with, people across the world are trying, sports to bring a positive force for environmental protection by adopting sustainable practices.

Sport can be considered as a global phenomenon with its physical, spiritual, social, cultural and economic effecting the society. Today, there is almost no one who does not have sports experience at any stage of his/her life. Sport is one of the rapidly growing sector in the present economic world. Providing the best service quality and customer satisfaction is the primary objective of the sports industry.

Sports inspire patriotism and it does not have the boundaries between the caste, creed, religions and nations. Sports will be the strongest driving force for war against the drugs among the youths. In the process, the economic volume of sports has grown up in all the sectors.

Sport may be less carbon intensive than some other sectors - but with travel and aviation, sport is responsible for 300-350 mtCO2e and the United Nations IPCCCs warned to immediately tackle it to keep global warming below 1.5 deg C.

Paris 2024 Olympic which emitted 1.58 mtCO2e is funding to implement nine projects, all close to the equator, which is one of the areas hardest hit by climate change. This Olympic also has chosen to finance 4 forestry projects through the Low Carbon Label: 1340 ha plantation on the Pierrelaye-Bessancourt region and three projects to restock degraded forests, in Montmorency.

Soccer, as the world’s most popular sport, has the highest emissions. Football grounds, with their massive water use and high energy floodlights, are the site of origin for many environmental impacts. The FIFA World Cup’s ‘Green Goal’ and Olympic Games’ ‘Green Games’ programs are examples of an attempt to draw attention to environmental aspects that are likely to be unique to specific collapse.

Sports for safeguarding environment is the need of the hour. Apart from the environmental impact on major sporting events, the link between sport and ecology is not always obvious. However, sports can be part of the solution, whether it is grassroots or professional sport.

Like any human, activity, sport takes place in a physical environment. This means climate change doesn’t only affect society but also, sport itself. So, it is essential to establish the relationship between sport and the environment.

As per the International Olympic Committee, IOC, the Environment fully deserves to be considered the third pillar of Olympism, after Sports and Culture. The IOC intends to be climate positive and has committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% this year and 45% by 2030.

In addition to these reductions, more than 100% of the remaining carbon emissions will be offset through the Olympic Forest, a project to plant 355000 trees over an area of 2120 ha in Mali and Senegal. This will be part of the ‘Great Green Wall’, a PanAfrican initiative to combat the effects of desertification in the Sahel.

Sport is one of the most important actors in Sustainable Development Goals. The sustainability of sports is directly proportional to environmental sustainability. The relationship between sports and environmental awareness emerged in 1994 when the United Nations Environment Program and the IOC began working together to reduce the environmental impacts of the Olympic Games.

IOC has gathered the adverse effects of sports on the environment under two headings; organizations and building facilities. Euro 2024 generated approximately 500000 tons of CO2. While the greenhouse gas emission from FIFA held at Russia in 2018 was 1.8 million tons which is same as emission of 50 lakh family’s annual electricity.

Again, it was reported that nearly 70 thousand tons of waste was generated and only 1% was recyclable which is too high as compare to the UN environmental sustainability criteria.

The Sports industry has also a tremendous impact on the natural environment. The size of the global sports industry is around Rs. 41700 billion a year. Sports share about 0.6% of the global economy but is responsible for 50 to 60 billion tons of CO2 emission. To take this dangerous process under control, strategic management skills and new policies need to be developed.

The global interest and demand for sports has af-. fected the environment, reaching to a level of natural imbalance. Sporting events should promote the usage of public transportation or car sharing. Sport clubs should invest to green electricity which not only reduce costs in the longterm, but also encourage more eco-friendly.

It is important to note that all aspects of sport have a link with natural environment. Sport is a social institution that will reach future generation with its social, cultural and economic existence. We can’t set aside sports and also the environment for the human survival. Thus, on coming the National Sports Day 2024, let’s reduce the sports-induced negative environmental impacts for a sustainable and beautiful planet.