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The Contribution of Sports to the Caribbean

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Sport refers to all forms of competitive physical activity which, through casual or organized participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and provide entertainment to participants. Over the years, many people in the Caribbean have overlooked the importance of sporting activity; however sport has made several contributions to the development of the region.
Firstly, sport has the potential to be a source for the generation of increased income for the region, if it is marketed in an effective manner so as to attract sponsorship from local and foreign corporations, along with international government assistance. Along with this, with the increased leisure time available to persons nowadays, the region should try to use …show more content…

Sportspersons also are also allowed to generate an income through salaries received from clubs, and regional associations such as the WICB, along with receiving additional income from endorsement deals.
In addition to the several benefits that highly competitive sport can have on the region as a whole, it can also have a positive impact on individuals in society as participation in sporting activities can lead to a greater awareness for the need to be physically fit and can promote the need for healthy lifestyle choices, which is overlooked in the Caribbean. These healthy lifestyle choices include following a more balanced diet, refraining from alcohol and cigarettes and engaging in physical activity regularly. Also by the promotion of sporting activity in schools, it leads to the holistic development of students and teaches the generation of tomorrow the importance of physical activity to the mind and body.
Success at sport has also been seen as a means towards developing a common feeling of Caribbean identity. The West Indies cricket team seems to be the regional organization which fosters a sense of a common identity the most as the players have been drawn from all countries and the success and failures of the team are remembered are reminisced upon by the majority of persons within the region. However, this sense of Caribbean identity is fostered to a little extent in all other sports, as most countries within the region

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