Halt non-movement culture: Dr Ana
ALDRID D’COSTA
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MAPUSA: “We are rapidly moving to a culture of non-movement, where we prefer to use the escalator and elevators in everyday life rather than walk, which is of great concern,” stated Prof Dr. Ana Luisa Pereira of Porto University addressing the first workshop on “Sociology of Sport”, at Vivanta by Taj at Santa Ines, Sunday.
Dr Ana pointed out that there should be compulsory a minimum of at least three hours of physical education for all school children per week to tackle health concerns such as childhood obesity, which she felt was greatly on the rise.
In Portugal, the physical education teachers play an important role, because they are the one who not only motivate but also recommend the students to be part of the sports clubs if the students show interest in sports as part of extra-curricular activities, stated Dr Ana.
Due to globalization, Dr Ana, felt that countries around the world are developing similar sub-cultures as the internet and modern technology is having a huge impact on youngsters and taking them away from traditional sports activities. “In the past, young boys used to play soccer in the streets. Ironically in Portugal, today, football academies are looking to replicate street football as part of their training, as the youth prefer to play FIFA games on their playstation”
Dr. Ana elaborated on the “golden triangle of sport sociology”, which ecompasses professional sport, media and sponsors. She expressed that professional football clubs such as Manchester United use the media to promote their brand across the globe which makes it appealing for sponsors to invest in the sport, which in turn has a great influence on the sports a population takes up.
Using the example of her own country Portugal, Dr Ana said that most youngsters want to play football because it is given extensive coverage in the news. Build up for matches can start five days in advance which attracts people from all groups of society.
Dr. Ana also exposed the hidden curriculum that takes place in schools across the world, which is used to discriminate and maintain the status quo in society, which she believed had strong ramifications on the role of sports, as certain social classes are segregated from playing elite sports and sometimes sports equipment is expensive which deters people from taking up a certain sport.
The audience made up of strong personalities from sports in Goa felt that the topic on “sociology of sport” was a relevant one to the State and fully appreciated Dr Ana’s contribution.
Fr Ian Figueredo, Provincial, Salesians’ Panjim and Konkan Province inaugurated the programme in the presence of V M Prabhduesai, SAG’s Executive Director. Fr Wilfred Fernandes, administrator, welcomed. Dr Marie Raj, principal, proposed the vote of thanks.
The workshops are being organised by Don Bosco College in collaboration with SAG, GFA, Sporting Clube de Goa and Daily Bread under the MoU with Porto University’s Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences headed by Prof Dr Jorge Olimpio Bento.
The second and third workshops will be held on Monday and Tuesday at Don Bosco, Panjim from 10 a.m.
