Sports, the Pioneers of World Peace

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Sports have significantly impacted the reduction of war and the unity of nations. Even the creation of the Olympic Games, which was previously called the Olympic Truce, can be dated back as an attempt to reconcile differences. In Greece in the ninth century B.C., the king of Elis, Iphito, started a peaceful sports competition to end the armed conflict, known as the Olympic Truce which occurred every four years. 

According to the World Economic Forum, all conflict would stop for seven days before and after the games so that the families of the competitors could travel to and from the venue without any trouble. To this day, the Olympic Games still hold the values of the Olympic Truce. Over time, world leaders have used sports as leverage to promote world peace and maintain peace in their countries. When Nelson Mandela was elected as South Africa’s first Black president, there was a lot of division among the nation. However, he used sports to bring the people together when he appeared on the field in 1995 to celebrate the win of South Africa's national rugby team, the Springboks. The white South Africans in the stadium, seeing that he was wearing the team’s jersey, were initially hesitant. However, as time went on, they began cheering for Mandela. “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does,” Mandela said in 2000. Sports have also been known to help mediate troubles between countries. Indian tennis champion Rohan Bopanna and Pakistani tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi have succeeded in their partnership on the court and in spreading positivity between Pakistan and India. In 2010, The doubles tennis partners played together in the U.S. Open final, earning the name, Indo-Pak Express. The duo went on to win the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award for creating the "Stop War, Start Tennis” campaign. Their primary goal is to promote peace through sports in countries that have been harmed by armed conflicts, as laid out on the Olympics official website. Countless times throughout history, sports have brought people together for a greater common cause. Sports have and will continue to be a significant part of promoting world peace.