A Solid Start for the Child Protection in Sports Course
Port Sudan – Sudanhorizon
The Child Protection in Sports course began on Tuesday and continues to be organized by the Professional Player Scouting Committee of the Sudan Football Association in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee. The course has attracted more than 410 participants from various sports and media disciplines, making it one of the most notable events in this field.
This course is part of an effort to raise awareness about the importance of protecting children in sports. It highlights the roles of administrators, coaches, technicians, and media personnel in addressing any violations that may affect children in the sporting environment.
Sports: A Safe Space for All
In his opening speech for the course, Dr Moatasim Jaafar Sir Al-Khatim, President of the Sudan Football Association, emphasized that child protection in sports is an individual responsibility and an integral part of the global legal frameworks governing sports. He added: “Protecting children is inseparable from our human and sporting values. This course comes to reaffirm our commitment to implementing these values and supporting efforts to make sports a safe environment for children.”
On the first day, the course covered basic definitions of child protection in sports and the participants’ roles in creating a sporting environment that protects children from violations.
The second day of the course will focus on the types of harassment children may face and ways to prevent it, reflecting the seriousness of the workshop in addressing sensitive and important issues affecting the sports environment in Sudan and beyond.
Participant Contributions
At the end of the first day, the course featured rich discussions from participants, including prominent figures such as Judge Ahmed Khalil Al-Bahr, the Supreme Court judge specializing in childhood crimes, Dr. Fathi Mohammed Suleiman, a psychological consultant, Captain and analyst Mohammed Atta, media figure Saif Baraka, and Mohamed Halfa, the rapporteur of the Competitions Committee. They provided insights related to child protection, legal precedents, historical context, how to address the topic, the importance of family awareness, and the community’s role in creating a safe and sustainable environment and combating negative phenomena, in addition to offering solutions to the problems arising from these issues.
New Topics
The course continues on its third day, this evening (Thursday), with lecturer and international expert Mazen Abu Sen, who will discuss new topics and focus on the practical side of child protection in sports.