PORTUGUESE PROFESSEUR SPEAKS ON "SOCIOLOGY IN SPORT " IN GOA!

SPORTS GOA: Goan Sports fans favourite!

“We are rapidly moving to a culture of non-movement, where we prefer to use the escalator and elevators in everyday life rather than walk, which is of great concern,” stated Dr. Ana Luisa Periera addressing a workshop on “Sociology of sport”, at Vivanta by Taj, in Panjim, on Sunday.
She added that there should be compulsory a minimum of at least three hours of physical education for all school children per week to tackle health concerns such as childhood obesity, which she felt was greatly on the increase.

 In Portugal she mentioned that the physical education teacher plays an important role, because it is them who motivates and also recommends their students to attend sports club as part of extra curriculum activities if they are showing an interest for the sport.

Due to globalization, Dr. Ana felt that countries around the world are developing similar sub-cultures as the internet and modern technology is having a huge impact on youngsters and taking them away from traditional sports activities.“In the past young boy’s used to play soccer in the streets, ironically in Portugal today football academies are looking to replicate street football as part of their training, as the youth prefer to play Fifa games on their playstation.”

Dr. Ana elaborated on the “golden triangle of sport sociology”, which ecompasses professional sport, media and sponsors. She expressed that professional football clubs such as Manchester United use the media to promote their brand across the globe which makes it appealing for sponsors to invest in the sport, which in turn has a great influence on the sports a population takes up.

Using the example of her own country Portugal, she said that most youngsters want to play football because it is given extensive coverage in the news. Build up for matches can start five days in advance which attracts people from all groups of society. 

Dr. Ana also exposed the hidden curriculum that takes place in schools across the world, which is used to discriminate and maintain the status quo in society, which she believed had strong ramifications on the role of sports, as certain social classes are segregated from playing elite sports and sometimes sports equipment is expensive which deters people from taking up a certain sport.

The audience made up of strong personalities from sports in Goa felt that the topic on “sociology of sport” was a relevant one to the state and fully appreciated Dr. Ana’s contribution.
Fr Ian Figueredo, provincial, Salesian's Panjimand Konkan Province inaugurated the programme in the presence of VM Prabhuduesai, SAG'S Executive director,. Fr Wilfred Fernandes, administrator, welcomed. Dr Marie Raj principal, proposed the vote of thanks.

The workshops are being organised by Don Bosco Oratory in collaboration with SAG, GFA, Sporting Clube de Goa, and Daily Bread under the Memorandum of understanding with Porto Univerity's Department of physical education and Sports Sciences.

First published in Herald on Monday 6th February 2012.