Use sports power, change lives: Portuguese expert

Use sports power, change lives: Portuguese expert
By JOVITO LOPES
Sport must be at the service of the harmonious development of man with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the defence of human dignity. If aiming at anything less than that, we would be failing in our responsibilities, declared Dr Antonio Sabido Costa, Portugal’s Consul General in Goa.
Addressing the B P Ed students of Don Bosco College after Dr Jose Pedro Lopes and Dr Jose Carlos Ribeiro of Portugal’s Porto University were engaged in lively, interactive sessions on the ever-changing sports scenario and the Olympics movement down the ages, Dr Antonio said, “Sport, more that mere physical exercise, must exalt and combine in a balanced whole, the qualities of body, will and mind and promote a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational values of good example and respect for universal ethical principles as stated in Olympic Charter.”
Recalling Juvenal’s famous saying “mens sano in corpore sano” (a healthy mind in a healthy body), the Portuguese diplomat reminded that the mind and body are equally important, which should be equally developed.
Juvenal’s motto is part of his answer to the question of what people should desire in life, the answer consisting of a long list of things like, “Ask for a brave soul that lacks the fear  of death; which places the length of life last among nature’s blessings; which is able to beat whatever kind of sufferings; that does not know anger; lusts for nothing and believes the hardships and hard labours are better than the satisfactions, feasts and feather bed of an Eastern King. It ends by stating, “for certain, the one footpath of a tranquil life lies through virtues.”
Dr Antonio praised the collaboration between the two prestigious institutions, Don Bosco College and Porto University in the field of physical education and sports sciences, which is now entering the fifth fruitful year.
Dr Jose Pedro Lopes highlighted that sport has the power to change lives from low to top levels quickly, like it has happened in case of Pele, Maradona, Messi, Cristinao Ronaldo and several others. “Be prepared for change,” he remarked and stressed that sport’s objective in improving the quality of life and its effective role in cardiovascular problems, diabetes, obesity, cancer and its need for special people is gaining more and more, world wide acceptance.
Fr Wilfred Fernandes, administrator, Don Bosco Panjim, agreed with the Portuguese delegates that the face of sports is ever-changing and that in three years time, it will undergo a dramatic change, for the only constant is change.
Dr Marie Rak, D Bosco College principal, welcomed.