Education through sport concept and ETS activities to educate sport related staff to react

INTRODUCTION

Since ancient times, sport has been a symbol of peace, unity and strength of the human spirit and physical endurance. Sport is an essential component of the life of modern societies. Major sporting events attract the interest of many people from all over the world. The development of new and modern technologies has accelerated media coverage of sporting events, and access to sports competitions, soccer tournaments etc. has become easier than ever before.

The rapid speed of globalization has allowed fans to get together and travel as part of an organized group of supporters or to attend sports events on their own. These mass public gatherings to support a particular player or a team have come to represent the unity of mankind, regardless of race, gender or social status.

Yet it is during these major sports events that the risks of security and safety of persons are the highest. Sport security is an umbrella term covering a variety of risks emerging either from man-made factors, such as terrorism and negligence regarding safety regulations, or from external phenomena, such as natural disasters, political instability and pandemics. All of these have made sort events highly vulnerable and increasingly attached to international and national security, politics and natural threats, among others.

In recent years, youth radicalization and violence have become a significant global issue. It has led to an increase in hate speech, xenophobia and racist violence, as well as religious and political violent extremism and ultimately terrorism.

There have been numerous examples in the past where prominent athletes and/or spectators have fallen victim to sports disruptions due to various risk factors. As a result, such incidents could cause considerable damage to both the safety of people and the integrity of the organizations involved. Incidents at sports events in the past have led to the partial or even complete cancellation of sporting events, which in turn results in serious financial losses and disturbances for athletes and spectators altogether.

Some of the most serious incidents during major sporting events are as follows:

• May 1964 – PERU: In one of the worst ever soccer disasters, more than 300 fans died and 500 were injured in a riot during an Olympic qualifying match in Lima.

• January 1971 – BRITAIN: Sixty-six people died after being trampled upon at Ibrox stadium in

Glasgow as they were leaving a match between

Rangers and Celtic.

• October 1982 – RUSSIA: Fans were crushed as they left a UEFA Cup tie between Moscow Spartak and Dutch side HFC Haarlem at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow. Officials from the former Soviet

Union did not disclose the tragedy for years. When they did, the authorities gave an official death toll of 66 although the number who died could have been as high as 340.

• May 1985 – BRITAIN: At least 56 people were killed and more than 200 injured when a fire broke out in the stands at Bradford.

• March 1988 – NEPAL: A stampede towards locked exits in a hailstorm at the stadium in Kathmandu killed more than 90 fans.

• April 1989 – BRITAIN: Ninety-six people were killed and at least 200 injured in Britain’s worst sports disaster after a crowd surge crushed packed fans against barriers at the English F.A. Cup semifinal match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield.

• October 1996 – GUATEMALA: Up to 82 people died when an avalanche of fans tumbled down seats and stairs at a World Cup qualifying match between Guatemala and Costa Rica in Guatemala City.

• May 2001 – GHANA: Around 126 people were killed in a stampede at Accra’s main soccer stadium when police fired teargas at rioting fans.

• February 2012 – EGYPT: Fans rioted at the end of a match in Port Said when the local team al-Masry beat Al Ahli, one of Egypt’s most successful clubs. At least 74 people were killed and more than 1,000 people injured.