THEY GOT GAME TOO – Physical activity, everybody agrees, is of universal benefit

26 March, 2009 - All work and no play makes Alu Dorji a dull boy. This Bhutanised proverb, according to experts, will help keep Bhutanese youth from falling into social ills like drugs, juvenile crime ad unemployment.

Sports in general has influence at two levels, said Frank Van Eekeren, a member of the Netherlands olympic committee, who is in the country to find out the influence of sports on Bhutanese youth. “It impacts youth at a personal level, where an individual participates in sports and learns certain skills. More evident benefits include higher self-esteem, greater physical fitness and individual skill development,” he said.

He added that sports could also aid the development of social and interpersonal skills, bridging groups that do not cooperate and improving friendship-making skills. “Sports is one important contributing factor in addressing youth-related problems, but it’s not the only solution.” Frank Van Eekeren said that, looking at the demands of youth and sports in Bhutan, they would try to develop existing sports federations, or add sports elements to existing social programmes to make them more attractive to youth.

The director for youth culture and sports department, education ministry, Chencho Dorji, said that, although the importance of education is clearly stressed in today’s society, people have forgotten that play is also just as important. He said that most facilities are under utilised. The department’s sports coordinator, Nima Gyeltshen, said that parents consider academic learning to be more important and thus instil in their children’s mind a neglect of extra curricular activities. “The main reason to include sports in the education policy is because of the effectiveness of sports. Sport is used as a medium to provide skills, values and build healthy lifestyles,” he said.

Karma Lam, sports advisor at the youth development fund, is a firm believer that proper sports and physical activities will be able to take care of many youth-related issues. “A lot of young people could have avoided violence, drugs, and other criminal activities, if they’d been given opportunities in a right and organised manner,” he said, adding that it would not be possible to completely eradicate social problems regarding youth, but opportunities in organised sports activities would discipline them, keep them healthy and teach them values like teamwork and leadership.

Karma Lam also feels that many facilities lack proper structured programmes, management, and coaching facilities. “The facility should bear in mind children of different age groups and gender,” he said.

Parents and observers feel that urban Bhutan lacks sporting facilities, which could keep youth engaged. “There are about 100 archery ranges in Paro, but not any facility for the students,” said a father. Others said that Thimphu lacks sporting facilities and those available are also restrictive. “There are not many football grounds,” said a father. “I’ve been requesting authorities, on my son’s behalf, for permission to use their football ground on weekends.”

However, facilities are important but not an end to itself, said Van Eekeren. “If the objective is to compete internationally, there’s a requirement of the best facilities, but if the objective if to get youngsters to participate in sports, a small ground in a deprived area would have more impact than one fancy sports ground,” he said.