As this year’s บาคาร่าสายฟ้า, the Ivory Coast’s footballers have a special responsibility to create unity on and off the pitch. Although the country’s players are scattered across the world, they have united as one team to win this tournament, and have been working hard to bring peace to a divided nation.
The use of sports for national unity purposes has a long history and can be highly effective, as demonstrated by several examples from recent times. However, it is important to note that sports can also inflame passions and lead to violent incidents.
Football is a unifying force because it brings people from diverse backgrounds into the same team, working together for a common goal. Moreover, it builds trust among individuals through collaboration on the pitch, and increases contact between different groups, thus promoting friendship and reducing prejudice.
In addition, football training can improve physical capacities through repeated accelerations and sprinting. It can also teach children to take instruction from authorities (coaches, referees), to manage their emotions, and to respect others. These are skills that will benefit them later in their lives, when they need to build relationships with those who may be very different from them.
