Sports Ministry Plan Part 1
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Sports Ministry Plan Part 1
Europe is a renown giant in the world of sports; arguably, some of the best rugby and football clubs on Earth come from the continent. Europe has a diverse culture since it is made up of different nations, each with its cultural practices, traditions, and local language. The official languages in the continent are German, French, Italian, English, Russian, Turkish, Romanian, Greek Swedish, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin (Marian, n.d.). The most popular religion in Europe is Christianity, followed by Islam; however, a significant number of citizens are not affiliated with any faith (IES, 2019). Most countries in Europe are united by an economic and political block, the European Union; nevertheless, cultural elements vary from state to state. The economic culture in some countries in Europe is friendly; for instance, in the United Kingdom, corruption is minimal, nepotism is discouraged, and workers always try to create favorable business relationships (IES, 2019). Europe is already active in sports; however, the Ministry of Sports can maximize its efforts in injury reduction, elimination of racism, and tax regulation. This essay discusses the current state of sports in Europe and the areas that need significant improvements.
In this essay, the European Union has been selected as an area of study since it has a vast number of races, which participate in competitive sports both locally and globally. Hence, each nation has its national team, and renown clubs, which take part in European competitions. For instance, the world-famous Liverpool, Manchester United, Juventus, Atlanta, Manchester City, and Roma football clubs are European teams. The teams are highly followed internationally; therefore, Europe can be described as one of the global role models in the sports world.
According to the research article by Åman, Forssblad, and Henriksson‐Larsén (2016), sports such as football, ice hockey, floorball, and handball expose players to a high risk of injuries. The researchers noted that the most upper cases of injuries resulting in Permanent Medical Impairment (PMI) were in sports such as ice hockey, skating, and automobile racing. However, according to the research by Åman et al. (2016), female players are at higher risk of sustaining injuries during sports, than their male counterparts.
Up to date, racism in sports among European nations is rampant despite the laws put into eliminating it. According to an article by Observer Sports (2018), racism was noted among Belgium fans, not only in football but also other sports; in May 2018, 29 fans in the country were arrested for verbally abusing black players and carrying racist banners. Similar cases of racism against black and Islam players were noted in Bosnia and Bulgaria (Observer Sports, 2018). The article also notes that in the 2018 World Cup finals, a former Croatian football coach criticized the French team since most of its players had an African descent. Therefore, the problem cannot be ignored in Europe, and it requires further intervention by the Ministry of Sports.
Arguably, the tax rates on foreign players (especially in football) in Europe are unfavorable for most of them. According to a study by Kleven, Landais, and Saez (2019), nations such as Germany, Greece, the UK, and Switzerland have tax rates on foreign talents that are higher than the rates meant to maximize revenue. However, the study by Kleven et al. (2019) states that other 14 European nations have favorably lower tax rates, and most professional players tend to relocate to these areas. Therefore, there is a need for tax reforms in Europe to ensure equality for all players, despite their nationality, or the country they play for in Europe.
The ministry of sports should increase its support for sports injury prevention programs. According to Mugele, Plummer, Steffen, Stoll, Mayer, and Müller (2018), the plans are useful, but most couches and players are reluctant to participate. Therefore, efforts by the ministry to increase awareness on the importance of the program can be fruitful only if they target the primary stakeholders in field and sports events. In my opinion, racism in sports can be minimized in Europe by enforcing the existing rules and establishing new laws to promote racial equality. Similarly, the Sports Ministry can intervene to make the judiciary initiate tax reforms that favor foreign players.
The Ministry of Sports encourages and supports young people to participate in sports activities both in learning institutions and in the region, bids for major sports events, and uses games as a tool to promote unity (Goodwin, 2012). I believe that through the sports industry, the ministry can promote positive local and foreign culture, and appreciate diversity to minimize racism hence improving integration in the continent. In so doing, bigotry can be reduced not only in the world of sports but also in economics, politics, and daily social interactions in Europe.
Currently, sports are highly practiced in Europe; the continent has renown football and rugby clubs globally; however, several improvements can be made to minimize sports injuries, eliminate racism, and to introduce tax reforms for foreign professional players. Since the risk of injuries is high in sports, it can be minimized by encouraging players to participate in injury prevention programs. On the other hand, high taxation and racism on foreign players can be minimized through legislation. The ministry of sports is vital in Europe since it promotes participation in games and national sports events.
References
Åman, M., Forssblad, M., & Henriksson‐Larsén, K. (2016). Incidence and severity of reported acute sports injuries in 35 sports using insurance registry data. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 26(4), 451-462. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12462
Goodwin, M. (2012, April 4). What Role for the Ministry of Sports? Retrieved from http://nottspolitics.org/2012/04/04/what-role-for-the-minister-of-sport/
IES (2019). Cultural Profiles. The Cultural Atlas. Retrieved from: https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/
Kleven, H. J., Landais, C., & Saez, E. (2013). Taxation and international migration of superstars: Evidence from the European football market. American economic review, 103(5), 1892-1924. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.103.5.1892
Marian, J. (n.d.). Official Languages of European Countries. Retrieved from https://jakubmarian.com/official-languages-of-european-countries/
Mugele, H., Plummer, A., Steffen, K., Stoll, J., Mayer, F., & Müller, J. (2018). General versus sports-specific injury prevention programs in athletes: A systematic review of the effect on injury rates. PloS one, 13(10), e0205635. https://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0205635
Observer Sports. (2019, February 14). The ugly spectre of racism in football on the rise across Europe. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/dec/16/racism-on-the-rise-across-europe-football-raheem-sterling-chelsea
