Any physical activity which has the character of play and which involves a struggle with oneself or with others, or a confrontation with natural elements’. They added ‘If this activity involves competition, it must then always be performed in a spirit of sportsmanship. There can be no true sports without the idea of fair play.
We know that sport can make a positive contribution to national morale, health and the economy. We believe that it can enhance community spirit, equality of opportunity, personal development and social integration. Over 150 activities are recognized by the Sports Council as sports, and a line has been drawn to the exclusion of chess, as a game, not a sport.
Sports nutrition and biochemistry are vitally important, with techniques such as carbohydrate loading for muscle glycogen boosting now standard, the importance of maintaining fluid balance being recognized in a wide variety of sports, the use of creatine supplements benefitting short term anaerobic work, and promising innovations being made regarding amino acid supplementation.
A very large number of people engage in sport, or exercise, for the benefits of ‘health-related fitness’, with a major rise in recent years of jogging and aerobics.
‘Health is at risk when exercise is at very high levels’, and indeed, ‘Sport for All’ implies sports injuries for all.
Sport has long been seen, rightly or wrongly, as a very useful means of education, of social control, and even as a means of evangelizing.
There is a powerful nationalist element behind all international sports —of their own country's team members, so it makes social sense. Also, many felt they would prefer the Olympic flag to be raised, and an Olympic anthem to be played at medal presentations.
