By – Dr. N. Munal Meitei
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships. Sports play a significant role in our present world. A person who engages himself in sports sustains a healthy and wealthy lifestyle. It not only to foster health but keeps our mind fit. Outstanding achievements knock when one is healthy enough to pass all the hurdles in life.
National Sports Day is celebrated on 29 August since 2012 on the birth day of Major Dhyan Chand, the hockey legend to embrace sportsmanship and brotherhood that corners sports. The theme for 2026 is “Khelega Bharat, Jeetega Bharat”, with a three-day nationwide campaign centered on the pillars of Tribute, Play and Move. The schedules say 1- to give tribute to honor Major Dhyan Chand and celebrate India’s sporting heritage. Day 2 – participate in sports for at least an hour through the “Ek Ghanta Khel Ke Maidan Mein” initiative and day 3 – to join cycling rallies, walkathons, or run-and-ride activities to promote fitness.
Sports can bring people together, promote understanding and build a strong and healthy nation. Sports encourage teamwork, unity and help to break down social barriers. This day marks the journey of every sportsman who made the country proud through their long years of sweat and hard work.
Sport can be considered as a global phenomenon with its physical, spiritual, social, cultural and economic effecting the society. There is almost no one who does not have sports experience at any stage of his/her life. Sport is one of the rapidly growing sectors in the present economic world. Sports inspire patriotism and it does not have the boundaries between the caste, creed, religions and nations. Sports will be the strongest driving force for human unity, war against the drugs. Then, why not be an environment warrior?
My discussion today will be on the meeting point of the Sports and Environment. Sport occupies a special place in modern life, with millions participating and watching in their favorite games. But ironically, despite its ability to entertain and promote health, sports also degrade our environment. To combat with, people are trying, sports to bring a positive force for environmental protection by adopting sustainable practices.
Sport may be less carbon intensive than some other sectors – but with travel and aviation, sport is responsible for 300–350 mtCO‚ e emission and the United Nations IPCCCs warned to immediately tackle it to keep the global warming below 1.5°C.
Soccer, as the world’s most popular sport, has the highest emissions. Football grounds, with their massive water use and high energy floodlights, are the origin of many environmental impacts. The 2026 FIFA World Cup emitted approximately 7.8 to 9.0 mtCO‚ e according to independent analyses which is same as emission of 280 lakh family’s annual electricity.
Around 87.5% of the carbon footprint comes from spectator and team travel by 48-teams for 104 matches over 16 host cities in the three countries of the United States, Canada and Mexico. And it also generates an estimated 10,600 metric tons of physical waste and only 1% was recyclable which is too high as compare to the UN criteria.
Sports for safeguarding environment is the need of the hour. Apart from the environmental impact on major sporting events, the link between sport and ecology is not always obvious. However, sports can be part of the solution, whether it is grassroots or professional sport. Like any other human activities, sports take place in a physical environment. This means climate change doesn’t only affect society but also sport itself. So, it is essential to establish the relationship between sport and the environment.
As per the International Olympic Committee, the Environment fully deserves to be considered the third pillar of Olympism, after Sports and Culture. The IOC intends to be climate positive and has committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% this year and 45% by 2030. In addition to these reductions, more than 100% of the remaining carbon emissions will be offset through the Olympic Forest, the target to plant approximately 590,000 native trees across 90 villages in Mali and Senegal to make the IOC climate positive to sequester around 20 mtCO‚ e, offsetting the estimated carbon emissions of the IOC. This will be part of the ‘Great Green Wall’, a Pan-African initiative to combat the desertification in the Sahel.
Sport is one of the most important actors in Sustainable Development Goals. The sustainability of sports is directly proportional to environmental sustainability. The relationship between sports and environment emerged in 1994 when the United Nations Environment Program and the IOC began working together to reduce the environmental impacts of the Olympic Games.
The sport industry has also a tremendous impact on the natural environment. The size of the global sports industry is around Rs. 265.56 trillion a year sharing about 2.0% of the global economy to Rs. 261 trillion reaching upto Rs. 765.6 trillion by 2050. But sport is responsible 300 to 350 mtCO‚ e every year, which is comparable to the annual emissions of the nations like Italy, France, or Poland.
To control this dangerous process, strategic management skills and new policies need to be developed. Sporting events should promote the usage of public transportation or car sharing. Sport clubs should invest to green electricity which not only reduce costs in the long-term, but also encourage more eco-friendly.
It is pertinent to note that all aspects of sport have a link with natural environment. Sport is a social fibric that will reach future generation with its social, cultural and economic existence. We can’t set aside sports and also the environment for the human survival. Thus, on coming the National Sports Day 2026, let’s reduce the sports-induced negative environmental impacts for a sustainable and beautiful planet.
(The author is Environmentalist, presently working as DFO/Chandel. [email protected])
