Publisher's Synopsis
Sports, games and physical fitness have been a vital component of our civilization, as is evident from the existence of the highly evolved system of yoga and a vast range of highly developed indigenous games, including martial arts. The intrinsic linkage between sports and games and the human quest for excellence was recognized ever since the inception of human civilization, reaching its epitome in the ancient Greek civilization, which was the progenitor of the Olympic movement. As stated in the Olympic Charter, Olympism is a "Philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind." So also is yoga based on the complete control of body and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical practices. Olympism recognizes the practice of sport as a human right, to which every individual must have access without discrimination of any kind. In modern times, there has been increasing recognition of the role of Sports in Development. The International Charter of Physical Education and Sport, UNESCO, 1978 states that "Every human being has a fundamental right of access to physical education and sport, which are essential for the full development of his personality. The freedom to develop physical, intellectual and moral powers through physical education and sport must be guaranteed both within the educational system and in other aspects of social life." Sports and Games as a vital component of social and cultural life are embedded in the Indian heritage, and can be found in the archaeological excavations of Mohenjodaro and Harappa, the Vedic literature, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the literary works of Kautilya, Kalidasa, Panini and Dandin, as well as in Buddhist and Jain literature. They had been seen as an intrinsic component of education and development of the human personality in the philosophical texts of ancient Greece, the progenitor of the Olympic movement. Every civilization has evolved and developed its own indigenous modes of physical endeavour and healthy social interaction through a variety of games and sports forms and events. Apart from being a means of physical exercise and fitness, sports and 2 games have been a medium of entertainment, the generation of a spirit of healthy competition, bonding and pride in the community, and an avenue of constructive preoccupation for active young people.
