On Friday, April 5, Athletics arena in Belgrade resonated with children’s voices, shouts of support and thunderous applause. Novak Djokovic Foundation gathered more than 150 children to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Peace and Development together. It was the perfect example of how play and sport promote peace, connect people and overcome all differences between us. In partnership with the Athletic Union of Serbia and Sports Association of people with disabilities of Belgrade, Novak Djokovic Foundation organized an event called “žChoose sports – believe in your inner champion”. Numerous sports activities were organized for the children, including long jump, high jump and relay race.

It was very inspiring to see how children root for one another and applaud even when someone makes a mistake. Our “little champions” have once again shown us that we can learn so much from them.

Victory grows if it is shared

We had the pleasure of meeting Vidak at the event, and he immediately proudly told us that he has just turned 8. When asked what victory means to him, Vidak gave a response that made us all laugh and also reminded us of what is actually important:

“For me, victory is fun and entertainment. I don’t like being alone, it’s boring! I like being with my friends a lot more.”

And Vidak is right! Each new life goal requires a lot of dedication and responsibility. But why wouldn’t we ask ourselves first “Do I like this experience/challenge? Does it light a passion, play, and fun inside me? Can I share it with someone? Can someone help me?”

Vidak (the blond boy in the middle), 8 years old, recognizes that it is more fun to go towards your goal alongside your friends.

Behind every obstacle lies joy

Children recognize that if they want to achieve something, they must do something over and over again until they become good at it. They acquire this natural feeling when they learn how to read and write, when they play their first etude or when they play basketball in the yard. But the key thing is that they are not aware of this. They do not see it as labor, but rather as fun and game with their friends.

“For me, victory is when you practice something, and you practice and practice and then in the end you succeed. But I love it the most when I practice with my teammates!”, says Kjara who is a member of Red Star athletics team.

However, at some point, when we become older, we lose that child’s sense of ease. It’s like all the things we could lose then overshadow the things we could gain. We lose patience and we want to be immediately good at everything. We are blindly focused only on the prize and we forget that the road to our goal should be another experience that enriches our life.

More than 150 children enjoyed various sports activities.

Team support is the biggest strength

On the break, we met Katarina, Ivana, and Marko. While they munched on apples and bananas, we asked them what victory means to them and what gives them strength.

“For me, victory is when we participate”, said Katarina.

“For me, victory is teamwork”, Ivan added quickly adding that he trains swimming alongside athletics.

And Ivana said that her friends from her athletics team give her the most strength.

Ivan, Ivana and Katarina reminded us all of the importance of the team spirit.

Friendship, not rivalry

Often, on the road to our goals, we encounter people who are equally good as we are. Then we experience some other feelings, such as jealousy and vanity, which only slow our personal development. It is important to set your goal at the very beginning because then you will remain focused. Remember that the point is not to be better than others, but better than yourself.

Let Katarina from the Red Star athletics club serve as an example. Even though Red Star and Partizan sports clubs are known as eternal rivals in Serbia, she was especially pleased to see members of Partizan athletics club present at the manifestation.

“I am very happy that I got to meet the Partizan team. It is actually not important where you train, it is important that you have fun!”

The greatest success of the “Choose sports – believe in your inner champion” manifestation, was that each kid made at least one new friend.

Our smiles shine brighter than medals

And what if you don’t win? Does all your effort and sacrifice go to waste then? For kids, this is not the end of the world. They just march forward braver and stronger. We can do it too if only we would remove the unnecessary obstacles in our heads. Just switch things up a little and ask yourself sometimes – “Why not?”

Our friend Dunja explained this perfectly:

“For me, victory is not to win something, but to try and give it our best!”

Coaches of three major domestic athletics teams – Red Star, Partizan and Vozdovac created the exercises just for this occasion.

Learn from our little champions and face the next challenge with a child’s curiosity. Don’t insist on having to achieve everything alone, but embrace the words of support from those who love you. This way, you will recognize more easily when someone else needs your help. Don’t forget – together we always finish first!

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April 6th 2014 marks the very first International Day of Sport for Peace and Development. This is not a day to celebrate the accomplishments of the elite athletes of the world; this is a day to recognise the far reaching benefits of sport and to get the world moving physically and metaphorically. This is a day about sport for the individual, sport for the family, sport for the community and sport for society.

Sport is such an obvious way to reach people around the world as well as pass on so many important messages to reduce and neutralise conflict as well as promote peace and educate. And this is before you consider the benefits of sport itself, whether the physical benefits and sport’s role in preventing lifestyle diseases or the mental well-being that can come from the endorphins of exercise, the thrill of a win or the community of a team.

Sport and indeed competitive sport is celebrated in many different ways around the world and it is perhaps no coincidence that April 6th was the date of the opening of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens (in 1896). The Olympic Charter decrees the practice of sport to be a human right² and despite the glitz and glamour, grit and determination of the competition, sets its goal as: ‘to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.’³

Beach Yoga by Kyle Lease | CC

In the sometimes cut throat and corporate world of professional sport today, it could be hard to see this spirit shine through. With careers, medals and sponsorship on the line it would be easy to make sport a dog eat dog world. Jacques Rogge, President of the Olympic Committee, addressed the United Nations General Assembly alongside Novak last August prioritising and placing ‘sport at the service of humanity’⁴ :

The true worth of sport is not determined by words on paper, but by how sport is practised. Stripped of its values, sport is combat by another name. Sport with values is a gateway to cultural understanding, education, health and economic and social development.⁵

Part of sport’s reach can be put down to the athletes themselves who have a captive audience of sometimes hard to reach groups. As role models, advocates and spokespeople, they play their part and Novak touches on this duty in his address to the United Nations General Assembly:

When a renowned athlete speaks out he or she reaches a large audience. That is a serious responsibility. When they encourage kids to dream big and work hard we can make a tangible difference in their lives helping them reach their full potential.⁶

Ski Airtime by Trysil | CC

The International Day of Sport for Peace and Development holds a special place in the heart of the Novak Djokovic Foundation. Growing up against a backdrop of conflict, Novak knows only too well the vital role that sport can play and wholeheartedly supports its values and goals in: teaching self-discipline and goal setting, in confidence building, in connecting people and communities as well as being used as a communications platform. Once it has reached people, sport can be used as a platform for public education and social mobilisation as well as strengthen individual capacity through empowerment, motivation and inspiration.⁷ Novak’s speech is a personal testament to the power of sport and those who supported and inspired him in his pursuits as well as his endeavours to further spread its values and spirit.

Here is Novak’s speech in its entirety:

So despite the competition and adrenalin fuelling the desire to win, there are countless examples week in, week out of professional athletes demonstrating the values of friendship, solidarity and fair play. Sport has consistently demonstrated its role in pushing us to the brink of physical possibility and yet unflinching humanity in the face of brutality. It can restore and rebuild societies and individuals and can remind them of who they really are and what is truly important.

Christmas Day 1914 will always be a classic example of the power of sport as the German and English soldiers put down their weapons and held a football match to celebrate the festivities. In the trenches where civilisation as we know it was said to be lost, sport restored that, if only for a day.

Zach Dischner / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

The ‘Indo-Pak Express’ is another example where sport can be used to set aside differences. Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna partners Pakistani Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi despite deep conflict between their countries. They have set up their ‘Stop War, Start Tennis’ campaign in an effort to bring their divided countries together. They are currently negotiating to play a tennis match on the Wagah border crossing.

As the founder of the Olympic movement, Pierre de Coubertin believed that ‘peace could only be the product of a better world, a better world could be brought only by better individuals, better individuals could be developed only by the give and take, the buffering and battering, the stress and strain of free competition.’⁸ Let us all strive to be better individuals through sport to contribute to a better and more peaceful world.

What will you do to get moving?

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2GVP8wFANE
2. http://www.olympic.org/Documents/olympic_charter_en.pdf
3. http://www.olympic.org/olympism-in-action
4. http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Olympism_in_action/Peace_through_sport/Jacques-Rogge-International-Day-of-Sport-adoption-eng.pdf
5. http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Olympism_in_action/Peace_through_sport/Jacques-Rogge-International-Day-of-Sport-adoption-eng.pdf
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2GVP8wFANE
7. http://www.un.org/wcm/webdav/site/sport/shared/sport/SDP%20IWG/Chapter1_Introduction.pdf
8. https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Pierre_de_Coubertin#cite_note-1

Featured image credit: vramak / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

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