A questionnaire was distributed to sport stakeholders from around the Commonwealth and the results are presented in various sections of this paper. These results are accompanied by an analysis of what were previously new developments in online sport (delivery, eSports and gambling), social issues and human rights, and finally proposals for financing sport in the context of sustainable development. It is underlined that sport is a sector that can help effectively generate employment and promote economic convergence among countries or regions.
This paper looks at sport’s contribution to sustainable development and the coronavirus recovery. It investigates how resources can be mobilised to this effect.
To play a positive role in the recovery from COVID-19, sport must focus on the operation of sport facilities; the resumption of sport participation; the organisation again of sporting events; and other issues related to the welfare of athletes (such as regular testing) etc. This is of great importance, mainly due to the extended lockdowns and the ‘working from home’ environment that has led to an increased role for digital content, eSports, and online sport and physical activity. Many organisations, including the Commonwealth Secretariat, have developed online resources to facilitate physical activity from home. Examples include the Commonwealth Moves Initiative; the Gender Equality through Sport (India) resource; and Staying Physically Active Through the Life Cycle (Canada).
Further, with the cancellation of live events, there was ‘space’ for eSport to grow rapidly: it was expected to grow by more than 30 per cent over the year 2020. This development is important for the future, as it will give the opportunity to clubs and other sport organisations to take advantage of new income streams. In some cases (for example, Australia) the demand for eSports has tripled since the beginning of the pandemic.
