We Are Tomodachi Winter 2018

20/40

20Looking toward the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, Japan is advancing a multitude of programs for international cooperation and exchange through sports. One of these programs is “Sport for Tomorrow” (SFT) which seeks to share the values of sports and the Olympic and Paralympic movement with people of all generations around the world. The Government of Japan is committed to shaping our future through the power of sports with more than 10 million people in over 100 countries in the seven years between 2014 and 2020 through public-private partnerships.SFT consists of three pillars: 1) International Cooperation and Exchange through Sport, 2) Academy for Tomorrow’s Leaders in Sport, and 3) “PLAY TRUE 2020” to develop sport integrity through strengthening the global anti-doping activities. The SFT Consortium, consisting of organizations that share the values and aims of SFT, has already gained more than 350 members.SFT is extending international exchange through sports in many ways, such as providing young girls in Kenya with the opportunity to play table tennis, and introducing in Malaysia a well-designed radio calisthenics routine set to music that anyone can perform anytime and anywhere. SFT also provides excellent opportunities to deepen understanding of sports that originated in Japan. For example, judo referees and coaches from ASEAN countries were invited to a seminar to learn the new rules of judo, and lectures and demonstrations of martial arts UNDOKAI sports festival in Malawi. Most schools in Japan hold UNDOKAI, or sport festivals in which all students participate. Students greatly enjoy the UNDOKAI, and they also learn the importance of rules, fairness, and discipline.©Japan Sport CouncilSport for Tomorrow