The Pros And Cons Of Sport And Nation Building

The White Paper on sport and recreation (The Government of South Africa, 2011) defines nation building as: fostering a South African identity, national identity and promoting a common sense of belonging. Professor Pieter Labuschagne (2008) argues whether sport really has the potential to be a nation builder or whether it is largely an inflated perception of many. A negative viewpoint on sport and nation building is depicted by Nathan W. Cody (2016), where he states that the Berlin Olympics represented the coordination of sport in Germany and reinforced Nazi anti-Semitic propaganda and policy, whereas Stephen Vukile Tshwete (2011) states that success in sports like rugby, soccer and boxing have led to a reduction in instances of racial prejudice in South Africa.

Crime: “Delinquent behaviour is associated with low self-esteem, and success in sport and recreation act to improve self- esteem.” Tshwete (2011) International relations: “Achievements in sport come with recognition, even for small countries.” Tshwete (2011) Economy: “Through its positive impact on health, physical activity has a favourable effect on productivity levels.” Tshwete (2011) Education: “Studies show that sport presents the child with life skills in a way that is unsurpassed by any other activity.” Tshwete (2011) Health: “It is believed in developing countries that for each Rand spent on sport and recreation, the health bill is lowered by one hundred Rands.” Tshwete (2011). All of these factors are components of nation building and they show how sport positively impacts these factors, and therefore nation building and the country as a