ODA Topics 4
Japan’s Assistance in Sports to Developing Countries through “Sport for Tomorrow”
The long-awaited Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 (the Tokyo 2020 Games) will finally take place in 2020. Those who are reading this White Paper may wonder how the Tokyo 2020 Games is related to the White Paper on Development Cooperation. In fact, with a view to the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Games, the Government of Japan has been promoting an international contribution through sports, which is targeted to more than 10 million people in over 100 countries over seven years from 2014 to 2020 by supporting training and development of athletes in developing countries. This is the program titled “Sport for Tomorrow (SFT).” Under this program, Japan is providing the following assistance seeking to convey the value of sports and spread the Olympic and Paralympic Movement widely to people of all generations, with the aim of realizing a better future for the world:
(i) International cooperation and exchange through sports (Improving sports-related facilities and providing equipment, dispatching and inviting sports instructors and athletes, technical cooperation in the field of sports, introducing Japanese cultures and supporting human resources development in the field of sports, supporting the formulation of school physical education curricula, dispatching experts to support the hosting of sporting events, support for increasing the number of participating countries and regions for the Paralympic Games, etc.)
(ii) Establishing a new international sports academy to foster international sports-related human resources (Inviting and training international students in master’s programs and short-term training programs in sports education in Japan.)
(iii) Further supporting international Anti-Doping Efforts (Supporting the development and introduction of educational and training packages in countries that are lagging behind in anti-doping measures, etc.)
For example, Japan is engaged in the following initiative through the SFT in South Sudan, Africa.
In South Sudan, which has over 60 ethnic groups and a prolonged civil war, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of South Sudan has held a National Unity Day sports event since 2016, aiming to promote exchange, friendship, and unity among the people of Sudan, and to support peace and social cohesion from the citizenry. Japan has been providing support for the organization and operation of these sports events through JICA.
In 2019, the fourth sports event was held in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, for nine days from January 26 to February 3. The slogan of this event was “Peace and Social Cohesion,” and more than 300 athletes participated in events such as soccer for male participants, volleyball for female, and track and field for both.
At the opening and closing ceremonies, participants from all around South Sudan marched into the venue holding up messages expressing their wishes for peace and unity, while people from different tribes and backgrounds mingled and deepened exchanges during the sports event. The event has fostered a mindset towards peace and unity among youths, and many athletes who participated in the event have expressed their willingness to engage in peacebuilding activities through sports even after returning to their respective hometowns.
The National Unity Day sports event has contributed to enhancing mutual trust and unity, as well as promoting harmony among the people of South Sudan. In light of this, the significance of Japan’s assistance for the promotion of peace through sports has been highly recognized. Consequently, at the fourth sports event, 12 countries, agencies, and organizations, including UN organizations, governments of other countries, and private companies, who shared and supported the idea of the event, offered assistance such as through funding and procurement of supplies. As this example represents, trust building and awareness raising activities on peace through sports are becoming ever more popular.
Furthermore, the events have borne further fruit, with the following four athletes qualifying as candidates to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Games, including Mr. Akoon who participated in the men’s 400m hurdle race at the sports event. With the cooperation of Maebashi City of Gunma Prefecture, these athletes are being trained at an orientation camp in Japan before the Tokyo 2020 Games.
(i) Mr. Akoon Joseph Akoon (Akoon): Men’s track and field, Olympics (400m hurdles)
(ii) Mr. Kutjang Michael Machiek Ting (Michael): Men’s track and field, Paralympics (100m)
(iii) Mr. Guem Abraham Majok Matet (Abraham): Men’s track and field, Olympics (1,500m)
(iv) Ms. Moris Lucia William Karlo (Lucia): Women’s track and field, Olympics (100m)
Mr. Akoon participated in the fourth sports event, while the other three athletes participated in the first and second sports events.
Women’s volleyball competition at the fourth sports event (Photo: JICA)
Mr. Akoon competing at the fourth sports event (Number 059, left front) (Photo: JICA)
The SFT has successfully achieved its goal of spreading the value of sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Movement to more than 10 million people in more than 100 countries and regions by 2020 ahead of schedule. Japan will continue its efforts to further contribute to peace and stability in developing countries through sports, by supporting the development of athletes, organization of sporting events, improvement of sporting facilities, and provision of equipment.