Sports contribute to education, health, vacations, celebrations, but also to traffic jams and violence in some countries. These are some of the positive and negative outcomes The Epoch Times reporters from the Canary Islands to Brno discovered when they asked locals, “What role do sports play in your country?”
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Uriá Fortuna, 31, Businessman
I think that sports play a great role contributing toward education and they help a lot to balance development. Of course, I’m considering here the playful sports for children. The high-level sports for adults or athletes are important for social inclusion, health, etcetera. But I really believe that its main function is to help education. [Through sports], children can learn countless things, such as discipline. ... Above all collective sports facilitate the understanding of others, teamwork, and so on. I like it very much.
Uriá Fortuna, 31, Businessman
I think that sports play a great role contributing toward education and they help a lot to balance development. Of course, I’m considering here the playful sports for children. The high-level sports for adults or athletes are important for social inclusion, health, etcetera. But I really believe that its main function is to help education. [Through sports], children can learn countless things, such as discipline. ... Above all collective sports facilitate the understanding of others, teamwork, and so on. I like it very much.
Canary Islands, Spain
Margarita Curbelo, 62, Pharmacist
In my generation, being a teenager, sports in Spain were not that important. Social habits did not promote sports, and practicing them, or considering making a life of it. Nowadays is totally different; all over Spain, but especially in the south and the islands, because of our benign weather, people can practice sports outside all year round. Parents are comfortable that their kids may consider, if they stand out, becoming professionals in sports like football [soccer], tennis, basketball, or cycling, so things have changed a lot, and now sports in Spain are a really important issue.
Margarita Curbelo, 62, Pharmacist
In my generation, being a teenager, sports in Spain were not that important. Social habits did not promote sports, and practicing them, or considering making a life of it. Nowadays is totally different; all over Spain, but especially in the south and the islands, because of our benign weather, people can practice sports outside all year round. Parents are comfortable that their kids may consider, if they stand out, becoming professionals in sports like football [soccer], tennis, basketball, or cycling, so things have changed a lot, and now sports in Spain are a really important issue.
Brno, Czech Republic
Michal, 30, IT Manager
I think sport here is considered more as some possible emotional release for the majority of people. A lot of people don’t do sports actively, but they declare their support once Czechs are successful in sport and they complain when that success is missing. I would say it’s some kind of Czech nature. So, sport is topical for discussion rather than for real activity.
Michal, 30, IT Manager
I think sport here is considered more as some possible emotional release for the majority of people. A lot of people don’t do sports actively, but they declare their support once Czechs are successful in sport and they complain when that success is missing. I would say it’s some kind of Czech nature. So, sport is topical for discussion rather than for real activity.
Ekerö Stockholm, Sweden
Peter Lundqvist, Electrician
Sports fill a void. It is a way for people to relax, to clear the brain after work. I know people who book trips several years in advance to attend special events? They spend their vacations participating in events like the World Cup in soccer.
Peter Lundqvist, Electrician
Sports fill a void. It is a way for people to relax, to clear the brain after work. I know people who book trips several years in advance to attend special events? They spend their vacations participating in events like the World Cup in soccer.
Bangalore, India
Michael Kindo, 26, Accounting Student
Sports are not given much importance in our country. Education is given more importance. Sports suffer due to lack of good infrastructure and also lack of encouragement from the government, and families of respected sports people. Of course, there are exceptions with regards to families of a few. Cricket is the only sport that is given all the infrastructure, money, and encouragement; and thus it is the money-spinner of the country. Even hockey, which is our national sport, has taken a back seat.
Michael Kindo, 26, Accounting Student
Sports are not given much importance in our country. Education is given more importance. Sports suffer due to lack of good infrastructure and also lack of encouragement from the government, and families of respected sports people. Of course, there are exceptions with regards to families of a few. Cricket is the only sport that is given all the infrastructure, money, and encouragement; and thus it is the money-spinner of the country. Even hockey, which is our national sport, has taken a back seat.
Istanbul, Turkey
Duran Akbulut, 55, Fashion Trader
Sports in Turkey play [a] big role in our country, especially football. And our country pays loads of money to football players from other countries, and they spend very big money on sports, especially football [soccer].
Duran Akbulut, 55, Fashion Trader
Sports in Turkey play [a] big role in our country, especially football. And our country pays loads of money to football players from other countries, and they spend very big money on sports, especially football [soccer].
Sunshine Coast, Australia
Robert U. Win-Boh, 65, Engineer
I would say that [sport is] very much important to guide the younger generations to have power of concentration and purification of [the] mind, and not go [on a] tangent toward doing bad things like drugs. It has very good control to make the young generation be good, and strong. But, in our days, our hobby and our spare time was spent mostly on sports—soccer and hockey team play.
Robert U. Win-Boh, 65, Engineer
I would say that [sport is] very much important to guide the younger generations to have power of concentration and purification of [the] mind, and not go [on a] tangent toward doing bad things like drugs. It has very good control to make the young generation be good, and strong. But, in our days, our hobby and our spare time was spent mostly on sports—soccer and hockey team play.
Torino, Italy
Carlo Greppi, 27, University Historian
In Italy, talking about sport means especially talking about football [soccer]. And unfortunately, unlike in other countries, it has become a vehicle for negative values. Naturally, potentially, sport can play a positive role for those who practice it. This is true for many less popular sports, which may also serve the function of providing an environment for integration and socialization. And they do. But in practice, considering the role of football in Italy and the number of people who play, or follow it, its role is very negative. Violence and disrespect for the rules have become a regular part of this sport at every level.
Carlo Greppi, 27, University Historian
In Italy, talking about sport means especially talking about football [soccer]. And unfortunately, unlike in other countries, it has become a vehicle for negative values. Naturally, potentially, sport can play a positive role for those who practice it. This is true for many less popular sports, which may also serve the function of providing an environment for integration and socialization. And they do. But in practice, considering the role of football in Italy and the number of people who play, or follow it, its role is very negative. Violence and disrespect for the rules have become a regular part of this sport at every level.
Istanbul, Turkey
Melek Aydemira, 39, Business Administrator
Sports are important for our country, especially football [soccer], but also basketball. For tennis, we also have some interest. I can say that football brings people together, and they feel that they are at the same level when they are supporting the same team. The team is very important in that which football team people are supporting. In Turkey, we are really spending too much money, and this is a very big trade sector. In Istanbul, we are three big teams, and now one more team just joined; there are four separate supporting groups now.
Melek Aydemira, 39, Business Administrator
Sports are important for our country, especially football [soccer], but also basketball. For tennis, we also have some interest. I can say that football brings people together, and they feel that they are at the same level when they are supporting the same team. The team is very important in that which football team people are supporting. In Turkey, we are really spending too much money, and this is a very big trade sector. In Istanbul, we are three big teams, and now one more team just joined; there are four separate supporting groups now.
Victoria, B.C., Canada
Kristina Chen, 29, Acupuncturist
Sports are interesting; it has springboarded quite a bit of the work that I do now. The first year of my practicing, a classmate of mine is a triathlon coach, and he coaches for the national team. He coaches juniors under the age of 23. They are training up toward iron man, or Olympics. It doesn’t have to be a political thing. Sports can break down many barriers, and also can give a sense of common ground. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, what nationality you are, that sport, somehow, is a universal language as well.
Kristina Chen, 29, Acupuncturist
Sports are interesting; it has springboarded quite a bit of the work that I do now. The first year of my practicing, a classmate of mine is a triathlon coach, and he coaches for the national team. He coaches juniors under the age of 23. They are training up toward iron man, or Olympics. It doesn’t have to be a political thing. Sports can break down many barriers, and also can give a sense of common ground. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, what nationality you are, that sport, somehow, is a universal language as well.
London, United Kingdom (British-born Ghanian)
Anthea Attram, 30, Care Assistant
Sports play a major role in Ghana. I’d say definitely football, also known as soccer, has a huge impact on people’s lives, from people who are wealthy to people who are poor, from cities to urban areas, football is known throughout the country. They would talk about Chelsea and Manchester as if they live there, they know it so well. When the Premier League matches are going on, people stop what they are doing, and when it’s a major game, there’d be traffic jams with people trying to get to the spots with screens. Football is incredible; it connects people.
Look for the Global Q&A column every week. Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: “Do you have any character qualities or habits inherited from your parents that you used to hate as a child?”
Anthea Attram, 30, Care Assistant
Sports play a major role in Ghana. I’d say definitely football, also known as soccer, has a huge impact on people’s lives, from people who are wealthy to people who are poor, from cities to urban areas, football is known throughout the country. They would talk about Chelsea and Manchester as if they live there, they know it so well. When the Premier League matches are going on, people stop what they are doing, and when it’s a major game, there’d be traffic jams with people trying to get to the spots with screens. Football is incredible; it connects people.
Look for the Global Q&A column every week. Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: “Do you have any character qualities or habits inherited from your parents that you used to hate as a child?”
