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Allen Khumalo, Sports Reporter
SPORT, Arts and Recreation Minister, Kirsty Coventry, has said unity of purpose is necessary for the country and called upon youths to play a leading role in moving the nation forward.

In a post on her official Twitter account, Coventry said people should use sport and arts to foster unity in all walks of life in order to develop the country.

“Sport bridges all divides and brings pride to a country. So does art, which portrays our culture and defines who we are. It’s us youths that have the energy to move our nation forward. Our artistes, athletes and youth should not be divided by cultural differences, political parties, gender, religion or race, but united by our common goal for real opportunities. It’s these real opportunities where the potential lies, but this can only be realised if we work for it,” Coventry wrote.

The former Olympiad, who is also the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes Commission chairperson, said she spent time coming up with inclusive strategies that will develop sport and arts in the country.

She, however, noted that the road to development is not easy as it requires some short term sacrifices along the way in order to have long term benefits.

“I have been spending my time in discussions with as many different people as I can, digging into solutions that will overcome the issues we are facing. By speaking to as many different people as I can, I have been developing a strategy that has your buy-in because it’s not my strategy, but our strategy: a collaborative effort that represents our entire nation.

“There will be short term pain, but this is necessary to build a strong foundation that has a long term positive impact. This is necessary to achieve an upper middle income country by 2030. I will be counting on you for your support so when I stand up, you stand up with me,” she said.

Coventry will be joining over 1 600 participants from across the globe in a two-day Olympism in Action Forum, which starts today in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The forum will create a platform to deliberate on various issues that affect the future of sport in the world. — @khumzallen