Sports if employed properly in the crowded section of MDGs can act as catalyst in attainment of millennium development goods. The employment of sports in MDG is not a novel concept, but is certainly requires professionalism and understanding of both  sports and development.

The eight millennium development goals (MDG’s) adopted in 2000 by UN member states provide a frame- work of global partnership for sustainable human development. The specific objectives of MDG’s are to reduce extreme poverty, achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE), promote gender equity and empower woman, improve health conditions and ensure environmental sustainability.

In the recently concluded Pakistan Development Forum held in Islamabad all stake holders attending the forum including government functionaries expressed there satisfaction on Pakistan’s progress in the last five years in moving towards the millennium targets set for 2015.

As Pakistan progresses on the path of economic and social reforms with the help of international community and the vision given by its present leadership, more concrete and creative  measures will be required to address the gaps and difficult areas and convert the vision  in to tangible out comes in relations to MDG’s.

Sports is one such powerful vehicle, if understood and employed properly in the cross section of MDG’s can act as a catalyst in the attainment of MDG’s. The employment of sports in relations to MDG’s is not a novel concept, but it certainly requires professional understanding of both sports and development.

We are well aware of the fact that sports all over the world is a “Serious Business” and its value lies in the unlimited opportunities which it provides for developing human activities, both mental & physical. Sports are a great integrating force which can contribute immensely beyond fun, recreation, entertainment and self satisfaction in the over all national growth associated with social development.

In the 10^th world “sport for all congress” held in Italy in November 2004 approximately 1200 participants form 112 countries, community organizations and UN agencies attended the congress organized by Italian National Olympic Committee under the patronage of International Olympic Committee (IOC) in co-operation with World Health Organization. The participants of the congress in accordance with its theme “Sports for all as a tool for education and development” urged governments and relevant public and private sector sports, health, education and environment organizations to recognize the need for “sports for all” programs and to deliver real actions particularly through partnerships for communities across the world.

The declaration not only emphasized the use of sports in minimizing the higher cost proportion of health by non- communicable diseases in developing countries and spreading the social benefits of community sport and recreation, including social cohesion and social skills and increased sense of well being but also strongly reaffirms the Barcelona 1998 sports for all congress declaration to establish and strengthen partnerships in support of physical education, specially in schools.

The Congress rightly expressed its concern at the lack of action, particularly in regard to the promotion and development of sports for all policies in developing countries. Ganda Sithole Director International Co-operation and development IOC Switzerland in here keynote address said that “What we should accept as challenges to the promotion of sport, and this is a fact in many developing countries, are the availability of resources and these resources do not necessarily have to be financial. They can be education”. She added that education is key, both for those who present sport as good for all of us and those who have to understand the need to find the time to occasionally service our bodies and mind by partaking in recreational activities.

Caral Ballamy executive director UNICEF in her key note address at world sports congress said that “the joy of sports is especially rewarding for children who have been marginalized and excluded ---- and children who are disabled. These outcomes are the building blocks of partnerships for sustainable development and peace – and that is why the United Nations is convinced that sports offer a practical and cost effective way to advance the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the child centered agenda agreed to by world leaders at the UN Millennium Summit”.

Adolf Ogi special adviser to Secretary General of the United Nations on Sports for Development and the former President of Switzerland said that “governments hold a key position in prioritizing sports in there national agenda and by being fully engaged domestically as well as in cooperation with international partners for setting up innovative partnerships can create great awareness of sports among the masses”.

Pakistan is once such developing country where sports are played and understood in its amateur sense only. Marked by a long history of dirty politics, its affairs are managed and run either by ex-sportsman or non professional bureaucrats with poor sports knowledge base and have thus not been able to provide a “vision” for development of sports beyond amateur sports development in few government and semi government departments. The entire approach towards sports development the Pakistan by sports bodies is adhoc based. Same is the attitude by policy makers who never gave a serious thought of making sports as part of education and health policies.

The Challenges for development of sports in third world countries are thus daunting that requires visionary approach and professional handling of sports affairs at top most level. Pakistan Sports board or Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) the supreme bodies responsible for sports development in Pakistan along with Ministry of Sports lacks capacity to deliver a vision for developing “Sports psyche” amongst the youth by enlarging sports choices and linking them to professional sports activity duly added by budding corporate sector in the country.

The biggest concern that hampers sports development in Pakistan according to sports bodies/ federations is lack of sports facilities like stadiums, swimming pools and gymnasiums. However the careful and in-depth study of sports issues in Pakistan reveals the fact that it is not just the infrastructure but other vital factors like de-linking of sports with education and lack of club sports culture for the need based sports that have resulted in mitigation of “sports culture” in Pakistan.

Keeping in view the lack of modern and scientific sports knowledge of the subjects like sports management and sports sociology by the coaches and managers of worthy national sports bodies/ federations the only silver lining in the cloud would perhaps be a non government sports initiative, which has to develop the “Sports Education programs” in coordination with Ministry of Sports/ Education and strengthen Community Sports Programs (Sports for All) by promoting club sports at grass roots with the help of local government thus contribute in creating a broad base sports culture in the country, through innovative models already available in many developing countries. It is for sure that associating sports with education at all levels will make education a joyful experience resulting in improvement of drop out rates in schools, improve health indicators and promote gender equity, thus contributing to attainment of MDG’s in direct and indirect manner, which will be a win- win situation both for Pakistan and agencies interested in achieving the MDGs on fast track.

If such specialized NGO manages to relate its sports development objectives with attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) it may get substantial support from international agencies like UNDP, UNICEF and UNESCO which are already providing assistance to sports and development initiatives around the world. UNICEF besides having affiliation with FIFA has along term partnership with International Volleyball Federation for sports development in occupied Palestine, UNICEF is also using a combination of football programs and non formal education to help young people devise tools and techniques for conflict resolution and peace building. In Zambia UNICEF is working with Olympic Aid, using sports festivals as tool to mobilize communities to participate in a nation wide measles immunization drive.

Sport certainly has the global appeal and potential to address multiple issues of developing countries in relation to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, unfortunately these countries lack in availability of qualified human resource to address these issues through sports intervention.

Our recent results in Azlan Shah Hockey tournament and the historic nine goal defeat from Holand in Champions trophy hockey tournament is good enough to expose our out dated sports system that completely lacks logical and systematic approach of sports development at grass roots.

IIf the Non Governmental (NGO) sports initiative is developed on scientific lines with the support of all stake holders, it is bound to succeed and would provide every girl and every boy in the country the access to sports of his or her choice. And through sports they should have access to a better and healthier life style, better job opportunities, better integration and a more balanced education above the social divides in our complex system.