Sports and Climate change : the positive power of sport

Positive Power of Sport

Sports alongside music are one of the most universally acclaimed ways of bringing people together. It doesn’t matter what our religious or political affiliations are, a good game of football will bring some good cheer and endorphins flowing across the globe.

Needless to say, sports personalities occupy the throne when it comes to popularity ratings.

Athletes are particularly famous, becoming national icons and symbols of pride, heroes and heroines throughout the world.

We name our streets and children after them.

We come up with viral buzz phrases in their honour. Remember Bend it Like Beckham  in appreciation of David Beckham?

These personalities have mass appeal and cult-like following. Think of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the football legends of our generation. Each has about a dozen international awards. Both have been awarded the World’s Best Footballer award severally.

Here's the Argentinian legend and FC Barcelona player, Leo
Brasil however, has by far the most memorable and popular footballers in the world.

Let’s come back home : N’golo Kante, the multi-award winning Chelsea defensive midfielder is only 26 years old. Think of the influence he has on his young followers and football fans all over the world…. Here he is with the EPL cup that Chelsea won the other day.
And here is N'golo Kante with one of his awards.

In saying this, I am trying to demonstrate how such players can be used to turn the tide when it comes to use of fossil fuels. Actually they can stem the tide in terms of global warming, helping to bring the low carbon pathway[1] into public consciousness.

They can popularize it, make it widely known, widen its horizons, bring it to the ordinary person’s breakfast table and phone screen.

Likewise, popular teams like the 2017 English Premier League winners, Chelsea FC, could very well allow a two minute commentary on climate change on their victory tour or on the other night when they held the glorious cup aloft and sung in joy.

Climate change messages can also be passed along during opening and closing ceremonies at major sporting fetes.
One such upcoming event is the Champions League final to be played on 3rd June 2017, let’s hope that either Los Blancos[2] or The Old Lady[3] will let someone say something with a view of bringing awareness to climate change

 FIFA  the world governing body is part of the Climate Neutral Campaign. Individual governing bodies can also do the same.

It would also be prudent for sportswear manufacturers such as Nike and Adidas to use natural materials to make kits or join the green crusade. They can turn to green energy[4] for their factories and processes.

Notably, Adidas has a green company program, and is part of the Climate Neutral Campaign 

Nike is also looking at climate change from a business viewpoint, pointing out the threat.

Alternatively, they can append a small symbol or word in their kits to encourage people to turn to green energy from the fossil fuel way of doing things.

Imagine the if the Die Mannschaft[5] defended their World Cup win in 2018 wearing jerseys with a green logo on them.

Alternatively, imagine if our very own Kenyan superstar Eliud Kipchoge run a marathon in the hitherto impossible sub 2.0 …..

He would go down in history as the first human to run a marathon in below two hours, a feat unparalleled in the entire universe.

And here's he is wining the Olympics Marathon in Rio

What if he was kitted up in clothes encouraging environmentally responsible behavior and creating awareness on climate change…

We would have hit gold, the jackpot I say.

He would have successfully turned the fortunes of the fight against climate change forever to the positive.

In other words, it would be great publicity.

 Now ladies and gentle-men, that marks the end of this match because, there goes the final bell.

Off to the showers and popping the champagne!

See you soon.

Class dismissed


[1] A way of life that advocates for very little or no release of carbon dioxide. That is, stopping the use of fossil fuels, embracing renewable energy, energy efficiency etc.
[2] Real Madrid FC
[3] Nickname for Juventus FC. In Italian, La Vecchia Signora
[4] Renewable energy : solar, wind etc
[5] Germany’s national football team

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