Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts Honourable Elvis Nkandu, M.P has called for the use of sport as a strategy to strengthen societies and enhance national unity.
Hon. Nkandu made the remarks during the 11th Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting convened on the sidelines of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France under the theme "Building Inclusive and Resilient Societies through Sports.
Chaired by the Government of Canada, the meeting brought together 56 member countries of the Commonwealth along with Sports Ministers, partner organisations, civil society and policymakers to discuss the significance of sports in furthering sustainable development, building more cohesive communities and promoting human rights.
During his intervention, Hon. Nkandu acknowledged the strategy of using sport as a means of breaking barriers in communities where societies exist with diversity. He highlighted the transformative power of sports, particularly football, in catalyzing national unity in Zambia.
"When sport language is spoken in the fields of play, such as the times when our national teams are playing, we forget about everything to cheer Zambia, thereby reaffirming our 'One Zambia One Nation' motto," the Minister stated.
The Minister emphasized that sport can be used as a vehicle to create employment opportunities and alleviate poverty, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Mr. Nkandu called on delegates to explore ways to increase Commonwealth Games competitions as a means of promoting the strategy of sport to strengthen communities in diversity towards inclusivity.
Meanwhile, the Minister challenged the Commonwealth countries to explore ways of mobilising resources to invest in sports infrastructure to provide young people with platforms for sports and prevent them from indulging in illicit activities such as drug abuse.
This is contained in a statement made available to the media by First Secretary Press at the Embassy of Zambia, Paris Naomi Mweemba.
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