MINISTERS and sport sector representatives are convinced the upcoming Commonwealth Games that takes place in Birmingham next month will inspire and empower all Commonwealth citizens, in turn helping to boost development and health outcomes following the Covid-19 pandemic. It was highlighted during the roundtable sports breakfast held last week in Kigali, bringing together over 120 Commonwealth Sports and Health Ministers, sports industry professionals and stakeholders. The event was organized on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Birmingham 2022, which starts in just over a month’s time on 28 July, was hailed as an opportunity to leverage the power and popularity of sport to drive social change, promote sustainable development and improve global health outcomes following the pandemic. According to Dr Suddhoo Arjoon, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, sport serves as a major catalyst for inclusive development for all 2.6 billion Commonwealth citizens, 60 % of whom are young people under the age of 30. “Beyond its convening power, sport is also an important tool for ensuring that the social and health gains made prior to the Covid-19 pandemic are restored and accelerated. This is what the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK, represent,” he said. “The Games speak to the resilient and inspiring nature of sport, they showcase how we are finding ways to re-energize communities and development opportunities, whilst reminding us of our collective heritage, embedded within our shared Commonwealth values,” he added. Arjoon’s statement was echoed by Lord Ahmad, Minister for Foreign Commonwealth and Development Affairs who shared the UK Government’s vision for the Games and its legacy. “Big sporting events like the Commonwealth Games are an opportunity to see world-class sportspeople in action. “The UK has a brilliant track record for hosting events like this – from the London 2012 Olympics to the 2014 Games back in Glasgow. And, every time we do, we’re reminded of the sheer power of sport and its impact on communities. From positive memories of sporting achievements, to employment opportunities and images of children learning to swim, young people representing a local athletics club and communities coming together to get active,” Ahmad said. The roundtable discussed how the Games and the athletes taking part, should be used to galvanize support from a broad spectrum of leaders for development ambitions across the Commonwealth – particularly when Ministers come together at the accompanying 10th Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting (10CSMM) in Birmingham on July 27. Rwanda is one of the countries that will be represented at the Birmingham 2022 Games and, after an hour of lively discussion, it was also suggested that the Commonwealth Games be used as an example to inspire and fuel stakeholder’s ambitions towards creating fairer, more equal societies and to tackling burgeoning conditions like diabetes and heart disease. “Rwanda remains a strong supporter of inclusion through sports. Today we are ever more convinced that sports are a much needed tool not only for health, professional achievements (to mention but a few), but also for bringing people together with a common understanding and a common goal,” said Rwanda’s Sports Minister Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju.
