Report of Conversation Club, Friday 24th April 2009
THEME – The role of sport in society
Introduction
This week we had even more new people come along to Conversation Club and were able to break the group up into two. One sub-group discussed predominantly in English, the other in French and English.
The role of sport in society
Sport brings people together, either as participants or spectators. As a leisure activity it is also good for health, both physical and mental as it is necessary to be fit and healthy of body to have a ‘clean spirit’. People who would not otherwise meet do so because of sport, and people travel to places they wouldn’t otherwise see too. Sport is good, it unites people and is good for the soul.
Sport is divisive. People who otherwise would not know each other or would be friendly are pitted against each other because they support opposing teams. It creates violence, including stone-throwing after the match, between people who live in the same community. An example was given of an Indian student who supported a Scottish football club and learned to sing songs hundreds of years old defaming Protestants due to the football club he supported.
These were two views which were expressed in an initial summary of the role of sport in society. After some discussion, both were found to be true, though it was generally thought that where there was violence related to sport, be that stone-throwing in Yoff or street battles in London, it was generally where people were using their allegiance to sport as an excuse to carry out anti-social behaviour.
Role models and sport as a means of development
Sportsmen and women can be role models to young people. Not only because of their physical and mental strength, but also because sport can be a way to earn money and to get out of poverty. Sporting events involve one human being pitted against another. Whilst it is doubtless true that money helps in terms of training and materials, it is essentially one person competing with another, so that winners win on merit. It is a reasonably level playing field.
Some role models that were mentioned were Mohammed Ali, Tiger Woods and Yekene. The latter is a fighter who is straight-forwards, respectful, well-educated and who has a philosophy of doing good and showing love to one another. He embodies how a person can become rich but still be humble. Amy Macke Thiam was cited as a female role model. She has won a gold medal in the athletics world cup.
The Lutte/The Laamb
The Lutte – African wrestling – is very popular in Senegalese culture, particularly amongst the Serere. There is a strong mystical element to the lutte. Fighters wear gris-gris – charmed amulets – and the psychological and physical elements go hand in hand. One participant asked if it is the mystical element that keeps the lutte so popular, or the lutte that keeps the traditional mystical element popular. It was thought that there was a mix.
There is a big difference between the traditional lutte, where hitting is not allowed, and the modern Laamb. Serere people are said to have the lutte in their blood. There are special songs for fighters and if you see a traditional fight in a Serere village arena, you will see the crowd singing and dancing and the whole community engaging together. You really feel like it is something which has been happening for centuries. The lutte in Dakar is now much more about putting on a show and is driven by the huge amounts (millions of CFA) of money, which can be won and made. The fighter ‘Tyson’ is largely responsible for this change, it was suggested. He brought ‘US type’ confidence to the lutte – known as ‘boulfale’. He comes from the poor highly-populated district of Pikine and his attitude won him a lot of support. He was the first fighter to be paid 20 Million CFA for winning a match. He transformed the support because others realized how important personal attitude is.
It used to be thought that it used to be that if you were supported by a bigger Marabout (religious leader) you would win, largely due to mystical powers and the Marabout’s support. These days fighters train more and the physical aspect and attitude are seen as key to winning.
Crowd participation
There is much singing at sporting events in the UK, but particular at football matches. This is often the only place where British people sing with many other people, which can be a very spiritual feeling. In Senegal there is also crowd participation at popular football matches and at traditional wrestling, but not to the same extent.
Sport at school
In the UK, there is a minimum amount of time which has to be spent on physical education at school. Sports include football (soccer), hockey, netball, rounders, tennis, athletics, cricket and rugby. In Senegal sports include basketball, handball, tennis, athletics and football. Inter class tournaments and inter school matches take place.
Swimming
Swimming is very popular in Dakar. There is an annual race from Dakar to Goree Island. There are different prizes for men and women. There is an Olympic sized pool in Dakar. One participant said he had two friends who had had military upbringings and train rigorously. They have competed at sub-regional African level. They are amateurs, but very talented.
Discrimination/class structure
In the UK cricket, rowing, polo and rugby union are classes enjoyed by the upper classes, whilst football and rugby league are the sports enjoyed by ‘everyman’. Similarly in Senegal, golf and tennis were given as two examples of sport enjoyed only by the middle class and the rich as they are the only ones who can afford the equipment. Football and the lutte are universally popular, as can be seen in every street and on the beaches and public spaces.
In the UK, there is discrimination between the sexes in terms of the sports which are televised and financially supported, with males dominating. People of African-Caribbean descent are pretty well represented across sports, but Asians are not, apart from in cricket. In Senegal there are fewer women in swimming and beach soccer, for example, but good representation in basketball and handball. It was thought that women are perceived differently when they are sporty. There can be a negative perception of women who are physically powerful. This may differ in different regions however as, for example, women lutte in the south of the country.
Sport in other forms
The UK participant said that in the UK supporting football (soccer) seemed to have replaced religion for many in this secular society. Fans were really fanatical and have a faith and fervor for their clubs that could be likened to religious feeling. There are also rituals and songs which go with it.
It was suggested that in Senegal, where there are so many young people, sport is the opium of the masses. Government might support sport to some extent to prevent people from thinking about the reality of the day to day and the desperate situation the country is in. An example was given of Senegal beating France at football and the wave of hysteria and elation that swept the country.
Government investment in sport
The Senegalese government has put a lot of money into the national football team, but hasn’t seen much success. Now they have changed tack and are putting money into the national championship instead to try to professionalise it. Most sports people are amateurs, and it was felt that there is an unfair bias to support football, but not gold medal winners in, for example, martial arts and athletics. Basketball, handball and swimming were also considered as underfunded.
In the UK and other western countries, sports academies and football club academies work and contract with children as young as seven and eight years old. In Senegal there was no known system for spotting talent early and supporting children to develop their abilities, but it was thought that this structure should be instituted.
In the US, education and sport are very closely linked, including their being university scholarships for athletes, who also gain kudos because of their sporting achievements. In Senegal it is often necessary to choose between sports and academic education.
In conclusion, sport was seen as having an overall very positive role in society and that Senegal would benefit from having more structured systems and more facilities and funding for a range of sports.
LINKS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutte_Traditionnelle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laamb
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_league
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