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By Tim Cahill, Global Ambassador to the 2022 Supreme Committee of Qatar
We live in a very uncertain time. How long will the crisis last? Will it get worse? What will the world of tomorrow look like? So many questions that remain unanswered. Everyone suffers from the situation in their own way and some suffer more than others. The physical, mental and economic impacts of the pandemic affect the entire Earth.
Sport has played a key role in my life since my first kicks in a ball, but a scourge of this magnitude puts things in perspective. People are bad, they are afraid, they are stressed. Many have lost loved ones. Kicking a ball seems ridiculous in the face of the profound upheavals which strike so many inhabitants of the planet.
However, I would like to try to look to the future. Although the sport is relegated to the sidelines for now, in six weeks, six months or more, it will, in my opinion, be one of the most important tools at our disposal to help us get back to normal. Professional sport will play a crucial role, but its amateur counterpart will be just as useful in bringing communities together, once the threat of the coronavirus has been averted.
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COVID-19 Resource Center
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A precious tool of unity
One of the most difficult consequences of the situation is isolation. We were first confined to our countries as borders were closed, then to our localities when movement was restricted and finally to our homes. We will have to get rid of this mentality at all costs when we are free to move around again and I believe that sport has a role to play in this regard.
One of the greatest powers of sport is its ability to unite us. Thus, the whole world gathers around prestigious international events, such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. I had the chance to participate in the Athens Olympic Football Tournament in 2004 and in four World Cups. Today, I am ambassador of Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy from Qatar, the committee responsible for organizing the next big round ball meeting.
As an athlete, we experience these moments of shared celebration intensely. During Russia 2018, the streets of Moscow were full of fans from all the countries celebrating together. The enthusiasm was communicative. Although supporters come to support their nation and their sportsmen, when we witness a historic feat like that of Usain Bolt in Rio, the world seems to be more than one. I am sure it will be the same in Qatar 2022, which could not be better.
Judging by the stadiums I have seen, the Qataris are preparing a show that we will remember for a long time. The 2022 World Cup will be the first truly global football tournament to be held at the end of this painful period. It will be a powerful symbol and a precious tool of unity, gathering and recovery on a planetary scale.
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Remarkable ingenuity
Amateur sport will also be on the front line. The current situation requires us to distance ourselves physically from others for safety reasons. When I jog with my kids, we need to stay away from people with whom we used to share a smile and wave. The same is true in supermarkets and other public spaces. This behavior is particularly foreign to me and the world seems a little less friendly to me today. We should strive to get closer to each other once the danger has passed. This is where amateur sport will come in.
There is no greater pleasure for parents than to encourage their children when they play football, that they follow a professional course or simply have fun with friends. The sport tightens ties by gestures such as claps in the hand after a goal, or even handshakes and hugs at the end of a match. I got involved in amateur sport by running training centers in Australia for eight years and participating in the program Generation Amazing in Qatar.
Faced with the confinement test, remarkable ingenuity has been deployed throughout the world in many sports, economic and media fields. Many health, fitness and social responsibility programs are now available online to help people stay connected, active and in good physical condition. Generation Amazing the same is true through sessions via Instagram, an initiative which I will have the pleasure of joining soon.
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Sport to meet
Before the crisis started, I saw how participating in these programs allowed children to gain self-confidence and develop their skills, while having fun and making many friends. In the post-coronavirus world, I think amateur sport, whether it’s 5-a-side football at the local stadium, games in the playground, or club matches at the weekend, will help us bring us closer.
Those of us fortunate enough to emerge unscathed from this period will no longer take much for granted. Like many, I am separated from my parents and my brothers and sisters, who live on the other side of the world. Fortunately, I can stay in close contact with them and the presence of my wife and children by my side was a great comfort.
Like millions of people around the world, I know that the first football game on TV and my first outing to the park to kick a ball with my children will bring me invaluable joy. Although circumstances force us to isolate ourselves at the moment, I am convinced that sport is one of the means that will allow us to find ourselves.
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