Beyond Sport Summit off to flying start

Beyond Sport Global Summit got under way in Johannesburg on Tuesday when local and international guests, delegates and media were given the opportunity to visit five inspiring community youth-based projects that use sport as a platform to tackle key social issues.

Nick Keller, founder of Beyond Sport, was delighted with the successful engagement and interaction experienced on the opening day of the three-day annual Summit, which is being held in South Africa for the second time.

“South Africa has such a vibrant industry in so many areas, and hosts world-class events, but we are gradually seeing change towards social development,” Keller said during a visit to the Diepsloot Mountain Bike Academy.

“We’re seeing it here, with the sport of mountain biking being used to develop life skills, and it’s evident South Africa can become a world leader in using sport for social change.”

Andre Ross, chairman of the Diepsloot Mountain Bike Academy, was pleased to be able to show visitors from around the world what they had achieved with the development of local children.

“We use mountain biking to instil hope and provide opportunities for youth in the area. The main purpose is to grow youth leaders from the community of Diepsloot,” Ross said.

“We’re very excited to have Beyond Sport here, which gives us an opportunity to learn from other NGO’s.”

Elsewhere, numerous projects were also given a chance to showcase their progress, including the Fight with Insight initiative, organised by Box Office Gym, which provides young offenders and children at risk of becoming victims or offenders with an outlet for natural aggression.

“Fight with Insight is a wonderful programme engaging youth and transforming their lives by creating positive social change,” said Alfred Analo, founder of the Boxgirls organisation in Kenya. This programme is run at Box Office under the watchful eye of well known former boxer Anton Gilmore at Southern Suburbs Recreation Centre.

Other projects showcased on the opening day of the Summit included the Unicef Sport Development program, in partnership with Sportstec and the MRP Foundation, which focuses on the development and application of motor skills, and the Royal Bafokeng Jr. NBA program, a school-based basketball development initiative for boys and girls with a focus on teaching health, wellness and lifeskills.

Guests also had an opportunity to visit the Football for Hope Centre in Alexandra, where Grass Root Soccer revealed how it uses the world’s most popular sport in the ongoing global fight against HIV/Aids.

The Community site visits were the introduction to the Beyond Sport Summit 2014. Day two will see delegates enjoy a day of interactive activity at the Nike Football Training Centre in Soweto with the event culminating on day three with high-level panel talks and discussions at Vodacom World.