Colombo, 07 September 2026 - The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOSL) welcomed Ms. Eunsong Kim, Chief and Programme Specialist, Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, to the  " Olympic House" on 2 September 2026 for a discussion on potential areas of collaboration and the role of sport in contributing to wider social and human development.

 

Involved in the discussions from the NOCSL team led by Mr Prithiviraj Perera, Vice President and Chair Education Committee were Ms Nipuni Darshika, Dy Manager Operations and Ms Mehara Weeratunga,  Assistant IT and Data Management Services.

 

The discussion explored how the benefits of sport can extend beyond physical fitness and sporting performance, contributing to areas such as health and well-being, education, social inclusion, personal development and the development of safe and supportive environments for young people.

 

A key area of discussion was the “Fit for Life” programme currently being implemented  by NOC Sri Lanka. The proposed programme aims to explore the wider benefits of sport and physical activity and how these can be integrated across different areas of society within the Sri Lankan context.

 

As part of the exchange, Ms. Kim shared insights into a number of initiatives and approaches implemented in India, providing valuable perspectives on how sport and physical activity can contribute to broader development outcomes.

 

Among the key areas discussed was the Sport and Physical Activity (SAPA) Impact Framework for India, an evidence-based framework that examines the impact of sport and physical activity across multiple dimensions of development. The framework considers areas including health and well-being, education and lifelong learning, livelihoods and economic growth, and equality and social inclusion. The details of the said SAPA impact framework is to be shared with NOCSL at the soonest.

 

The discussion also highlighted school sports clubs and school-based programmes as potential mechanisms for encouraging greater participation in physical activity among young people while using sport as a platform for developing life skills, positive values, social inclusion, economic activity and healthy lifestyles.

 

Another area discussed was the use of educational toolkits and teacher-training resources to support the integration of sport, physical activity and values-based learning within school environments. Experiences from India provided useful insights into how such resources can support teachers and educators in creating meaningful opportunities for children through sport,  are also to be shared with NOCSL by UNESCO New Delhi at the soonest.

 

Safeguarding in sport was also an important component of the discussion. The participants emphasised the importance of creating safe, inclusive and supportive sporting environments, particularly for children and young people. The exchange provided an opportunity to consider how safeguarding principles and practices could be strengthened within sporting structures and programmes.

 

The meeting served as an important platform for sharing knowledge, experiences and perspectives between NOC Sri Lanka and UNESCO, while exploring potential avenues through which the two organisations could collaborate in the future.

 

The insights shared during the discussion, particularly those drawn from initiatives in India, are expected to provide valuable considerations for the continued development of NOC Sri Lanka's “Fit for Life” programme and other sport-for-development initiatives in Sri Lanka.

 

NOC Sri Lanka looks forward to continuing discussions with UNESCO and exploring opportunities for future collaboration, including the active involvement of UNESCO New Delhi Regional Office with the UNCT and the NOCSL in Sri Lanka  that can further strengthen the contribution of sport to healthier, more inclusive and empowered communities and thus contributing to the National Development  efforts in Sri Lanka.

 

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