Power of sports in war on drug abuse – The Star, Kenya

Sports experts agree that it is possible to use sports as a tool to prevent crime and drug use among youth anywhere given the right approach, policies and infrastructure.

Lamu politician Eric Mugo is a sports expert who holds a Bachelor's degree in sports science and a Master's in sports from Kenyatta University. He says sports provide life skills training that gives one resilience against risky and anti-social behaviour.

He says sports employ skills teaching that increases adaptive and positive behaviour and, thereby, addresses risk factors related to violence, crime and drug use.

Mugo is also the former deputy governor of Lamu county and has declared interest in the governor position on the The Service Party ticket. He says there is so much more that sports can do to redeem a generation thats lost in drugs.

Sport is a tool for personal transformation and character building for children and adolescents. It teaches us how to live with our differences, to learn the value of others and to respect others, Mugo says.

He says for sports to be of use in combating drug abuse, there must be consistency and funding. It should be made an all-time affair and not just a seasonal recorded occurrence.

The youth must see a life from the sports. As much as sports is done more for leisure and recreation, we need to have an eye on it as an investment and have a long-lasting roadmap. It must not be seasonal. When we are done with, lets say, soccer, we get to rugby, athletics, and so on, Mugo said.

He calls for the need to nurture both indoor and outdoor sports and equally place emphasis on talent identification. And of most importance, we register our teams with the relevant bodies."

Mugo says the benefit of investing in sports will cause a ripple effect if well executed, and it stands to benefit not just the players but many other sectors for a county like Lamu.

He explains that if anchored on serious pillars, it becomes easier for sponsors to come up with a move that encourages investors to come on board, hence growing the sporting sector.

We must encourage local sponsorship like businessmen and companies from Lamu county, banks, the new port (Lapsset), airlines, even transport companies, he says.

The ripple effect comes in the form of things that will brand Lamu and attract both tourists and investors, while offering a livelihood to the youth from such funding, whether full or partial.

Mugo says at such a level, it will be easier to form sporting clubs, which will encourage player transfers at a fee just like it is with football clubs in the west.

We can do it right here. Many sponsors will always take pride in such transfers as they scout for the best players. Through such and many others, we shall see many youths and even non-youths attracted to sports. It is through such engagements that we will discourage youth from engaging in drugs, he said.

Participation in sports reduces the risk of overall illicit drug use, he says, but particularly during high school, adding that this may be a critical period to reduce or prevent the use of drugs through sport.

We have to understand the youth capacity and bring them to sports culture to prepare them for the future, he said.

The sports expert said the youth are not bound to be drug addicts but rather, its the ample time they have and also lack of activities they can derive fun from that entraps them in drugs, pornography, prostitution and social ills.

Lets drive the theme: 'Fun and Money in Sports'.

Football Kenya Federation Lamu chairperson Fuad Ali says the sports sector is neglected. He says much of the little sporting infrastructure has been left to rot away and is in a deplorable state.

The county does not have a single stadium and most games take place on playgrounds in the various schools.

The only formidable sporting grounds are the Shella and Twaif grounds, all of which are in deplorable state.

These grounds can be upgraded and improved to national and international standards. We need adequate funding to allow this to happen, Ali said.

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Power of sports in war on drug abuse - The Star, Kenya