At the beginning of the second decade of this century, we must, slowly but surely, change our attitudes towards sports and start working on reducing the influence of politicians on sports.
Namely, the views are getting louder (and clearer) that sport is becoming just another tool for increasing the economic power and profitability of individuals and groups, and that it cares less and less about the social sphere for which it was created: for fun, leisure, socializing, etc. in a wider circle of people (society).
However, politics (especially in our region) has a great influence on the creation of this (negative) image of sport, because politics sees sport as its hostage and its privilege, and not as a social privilege, that is, the privilege of all social layers of society.
From the point of view of its position in the socio-economic structure, sport is the primary area of capital investment and the area of economic existence of millions of people, and not only that, but also the field in which many people earn and can earn millions.
Sport is also expressed as an area of affirmation of humanity and, in general, as a means of humanizing social relations, in contrast to many subconscious and rationally atavistic elements of man.
It is also an area of coordination and democracy building, as opposed to statist claims and abuse of power.
In certain social circumstances, sport can become an area of political abuse, a sphere of covert militarization of society, political rule and manipulation.
It is also one of the primary areas of democratic control and limitation of elementary abuses of political power, the area of social identification and various social activities of people.
While at the international level, sport can be seen as a way to improve the image or strategy of a country, on the other hand, this attitude should not overshadow the extraordinary potential of sport that fosters personal development and relationships between individuals.
In contrast to its prestigious features, sport is, on a much smaller scale, a vector for the promotion of the values of society and social rapprochement, and as such represents a framework for socialization that opens up the possibilities of educational and preventive initiatives.
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There are two ways to use sport for political purposes.
On the one hand, it can be used to promote ideology in the service of national and economic ambitions or to improve the image on the international stage, a scenario in which sport is at the service of state interests.
On the other hand - it is a version that should be used more for political purposes in a social sense; with a civic dimension through which connections can be created that are a development mechanism for social cohesion and reconciliation, so that sport is in the interest of society and at the service of each individual.
Sports movements, international organizations and civil society are now in a position to ask themselves how they can use the visibility of sport and its attractive power to promote various development issues and resolve conflicts. This awareness gives everyone a great responsibility for sports. All those projects that are implemented in sports must respect the condition of neutrality and independence.
In order for the activities undertaken in sports to be effective and relevant, the demands that sports organizations place on state bodies must be in accordance with the obligations of international sports associations and individuals, with all the energy and resources at their disposal, so that it would be a successful intervention in the most vulnerable areas. , namely: areas of conflict, poverty, sensitive urban areas where there is social alienation.
There are many social ills to combat this:
Community hatred, continuous armed conflicts, recurring or sectarian inter-ethnic disagreements, increased nationalism, endemic poverty, juvenile delinquency, fear of others based on ignorance, difficulties in reintegrating those social structures into a community where they have been traumatized and rejected by everyone, concern for different social structures. And so the list goes on…
The question is whether it is possible through sport to establish a set of rules in places where they have not existed for a long time and where it is really necessary?
The author is a former basketball player of the Macedonian national team and NBA league
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