Sports are an integral part of any country, but not many other countries rival South Africa when it comes to sports influencing culture. When writing an essay about sports in South Africa it would by easy to just talk about how many of the popular sports here are much different then those in America, but it is much more than that. Sports are deeply embedded in all social aspects of South Africa and go much deeper than just a sport that is watched for fun. Sports have been used to unite the people, entertain, and create opportunities for people throughout the country who would not have had these opportunities otherwise.
As mentioned before, sports have been used in the past to unite South Africa as a country. It is widely known how Nelson Mandela used the national Rugby team to unify a once torn country. He used it as a political stand for both the whites and the blacks in the country and set the basis for his policy of equality and representation for everyone. This symbolism he tried to create with the rugby team upset many of the officials who at one time supported him, but he knew that this was the right move and ended up being one of the most pivotal moments in his time as president. This act made the Rugby team more than a sports team, they were the symbol for a nation, the new nation of South Africa.
From my experience at Ubuntu Sports Camp I have realized the importance of sports to the young children in the community. One of the goals of Ubuntu Sports Camp is to give the students an alternative to their after school life. The camp gives them something to do during the day, because in many cases the students do not have much to do and boredom might lead them to get in to trouble. The camp also gives them a sense of community and helps build bonds with the other students around them. While the camp is open to all students who wish to participate there is also a smaller group of students who are a part of the Ubuntu team, in which they not only play together in tournaments they also attend the local private school. Their tuition is paid for by donations from people to the Ubuntu program and after talking to the members of the program you can tell how much this effects them and how grateful they are of this opportunity. Camps like this throughout the country help children and gives many of them something to look forward to during the week.
While there are many reasons sports are deeply rooted in the community, there is also the entertainment aspect. Soccer, rugby, and cricket are the most popular sports in South Africa. This can be seen through all of the stadiums and coliseums spread throughout the city. These sports teams create pride throughout the country and gives many citizens something to unite around. The most obvious display of this is the 2010 soccer world cup. Many stadiums throughout the country were built just for this event and lots of time and resources went into this project. The Soccer City stadium is the third largest in the entire world and was built just for the World Cup. Even from the architectural design on the outside of the building you can see just how much effort was put into the production of this building. Over 3.5 billion rand and over 3 years were put into the creation of this field and it has since become one of the icons of the country.
As stated throughout this essay there are many reasons people support sports throughout the country. While sports are very important to many people in many different countries, it is important to note how deeply rooted it is in the hearts of South Africans. While some of us may watch it for entertainment, for them it means so much more. It represents their struggles, their, unity, and their future, and that is what makes all the difference.