Global (Commonwealth) _ Proclamation of May 25 as World Football Day, the resolution was approved by the UN General Assembly. The first ever international football competition will commemorate its 100th anniversary in 2024.
It was part of the 1924 Summer Olympic Games, which were hosted in Paris and featured players from every region of the world. December 10 used to be the unofficial Football Day. Now, on May 25, soccer fans everywhere will have a day to commemorate the world’s most popular sport.
Tuesday saw the adoption of a resolution by the UN General Assembly designating May 25 as World Football Day. Outside of the US, the game is referred to as football. According to the resolution, the day commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first-ever international soccer competition with participation from every area, which took place on May 25, 1924, during the summer Olympic games held in Paris.
With a boom of Dennis Francis’s gavel, the 193-member General Assembly passed the resolution by consensus, much to the delight of the assembled diplomats. Over 160 nations funded it in tandem. As he presented the resolution, Libya’s U.N. Ambassador Taher El-Sonni informed the assembly that “soccer, or football as some refer to it, is the number one game played and followed around the globe.”
However, he emphasized that soccer is more than just a game that people of all ages play for enjoyment and in competitions on streets, in towns, in schools, and in courtyards. El-Sonni stated that football “serves as a universal language spoken across the globe, cutting across national, cultural, and socio-economic barriers” due to its “unparalleled position” in the world of sports.
He said that the game has developed into “a pivotal platform” that supports social inclusion and gender equality, serving as “a common ground where people from different backgrounds converge, promoting mutual understanding, tolerance, respect, and solidarity.”
The resolution recognizes that “football creates a space for cooperation” and notes “the global reach of football and its impact in various spheres, including commerce, peace, and diplomacy.” Additionally, it acknowledges “the fundamental role” that FIFA, the entity that oversees soccer internationally, and national and regional soccer federations, together with pertinent groups, have in promoting the game.
The resolution calls on all nations to promote soccer and other sports as a means of advancing women’s and girls’ empowerment, development, and peace. Additionally, it pushes nations to create laws and initiatives that support football as well as other sports and physical activities.
In accordance with national priorities, the resolution “invites” all countries, U.N. agencies, international organizations, academic institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector to observe World Football Day on May 25. It also calls for the dissemination of the benefits of football for all people, including through public awareness-raising and educational initiatives.
Many schools and offices host competitive athletic events called “sports days” (British), “field days” (American English), or “play days” (Canadian English), when participants compete to earn trophies or rewards. Even though usually take place in the early summer, they are also often held in the fall or spring, particularly in nations where the summers are extremely hot. Children participate in athletic events throughout the several sports days that schools host. Typically, primary schools host it.
The rivalry between the houses is a hallmark of schools with house systems, and it is most evident during athletic events like inter-house sports days.
On school sports days, a broad variety of games are played. Simple sprints, lengthier races, and egg and spoon races are all possible for every age group. Sack races, wheelbarrow races, parent and child races, and three-legged races are all held. There are also long and high jump competitions. Horseshoes is one of the classic games played in the UK and Ireland.
In recent years, school sports days have been the subject of several scandals, many of which have been made public by the media. Due of the public humiliation that sports days generate for children who are not naturally gifted, several schools have eliminated or drastically modified sports days, citing concerns that they are overly competitive and might harm students’ self-esteem. Many commentators have denounced this viewpoint as “political correctness,” most notably journalist Melanie Phillips in her 1996 book All Must Have Prizes, which was harshly criticized by critics for what they saw to be biased, fact-free, and skewed judgments.
