New association aims to promote values of sport

A new sports association launched in France is aiming to convince politicians and business to give more support for innovative projects that promote the social role and fundamental values of sport.

“Currently, only professional sport is represented in our society. The basic sport does not have any voice, nor does it capture media attention,” said Sport et Citoyenneté administrator Julian Jappert, explaining the reasons for which the new association was founded.

Sport et Citoyenneté
(Sport and Citizenship), officially launched in November 2007, has its headquarters in Marseille and Brussels, but “we have a European-level vocation,” explained Jappert. The stated aim of the association, which aspires to become a strategic player on the European stage, is to “convince decision-makers from politics and business of the unique opportunities that sport offers”. 

To do so, the association will propose a series of debates on a range of issues linking sport and society. These include sport and corruption, politics, health, education and humanitarian action, as well as equal opportunities. All debates will be supervised by scientific experts in the respective fields.

The association also aims to develop a role as a provider of “strategic advice to innovative projects that promote the social role of sports” as it believes that “some of sport’s fundamental values, such as respect and solidarity, should serve a greater social good”. 

Sport et Citoyenneté is financed by the European football governing body UEFA and the sports clothing company Nike.

Read more with Euractiv

British women see sport as 'unfeminine'

More than 80% of UK women do not exercise enough to improve their health, found a study commissioned by a British charity for women's sport. The crisis in women's fitness levels will only get worse unless specific solutions are developed, it argues.