DUBAI – Roxana Maracineanu, Minister of Sports, France, is on a mission to ensure that sport is accessible to everyone, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced not only how important physical activity is for health, but also how it brings people together.
The Minister of Sports’ remarks followed a keynote address at the Horse Industry Excellence Day at the France Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai, on Tuesday, an event she said was an opportunity for knowledge exchange and to explore future collaboration between the UAE and France, two countries with a well-known passion and love for horses.
Describing how the pandemic forced people to look at different ways of maintaining their health, Minister Maracineanu said: “Sports have been transformed by the pandemic, pushing people to exercise by themselves, whether outdoors or using digital technology at home. We have to maintain this new way of taking part in sport, but we also have to look forward to sporting events, and to the usual way of doing sports because that’s what brings people together, not only as spectators, but practising with family, friends, or even with strangers.”
Leading up to hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024, Minister Maracineanu drew parallels between France’s plans for the legendary sporting events and Expo 2020 Dubai’s legacy project, District 2020: “This is the first event of the Olympics with such a strong consideration of the legacy. We are already looking at the social responsibility of sports in terms of ethics, the integrity of the event and the athletes, mental health, and physical integrity – because we know the unfortunate lengths that some go to in their training – and how we deal with performance, which should not come at any price.
“Our message is that an event has to be responsible, with education for children to teach them that sports and physical activity are important for their health capital. We are also focused on inclusion and access, ensuring that sport is a right for everybody: people with disabilities, people who are fragile, and also those who may not have the financial means.”