Between the Ball and the Bureaucracy: Remembering that Play is a Right
A playground doesn’t begin with fences or formal plans. It starts before rules, categories, or measurements of joy. Somewhere in a narrow alley, a plastic bottle becomes a football and a game begins.
Play and sports are widely known to nurture discipline, teamwork, resilience, and a sense of purpose. That child kicking a bottle isn’t simply practicing a skill — they are experiencing life, freedom, and creativity.
Across the globe, play and sports are recognized as tools to advance education, health, gender equality, and social inclusion. The movement known as Sport for Development (S4D) connects physical activity with broader social goals, supported by global organizations and local initiatives alike.
Is sport for development, at its core, a child's right?
S4D promotes the idea that sport can strengthen communities and contribute to physical and emotional growth, life skills, and social mobility. In India, programmes such as Khelo India, Fit India, and efforts by civil society have shown how structured play can empower children, especially from marginalized groups.
Yet access remains unequal. For some, play is a scheduled 40-minute school period; for others, it’s an empty ground soon taken over by real estate signs — a fleeting space for freedom.
Author’s Summary
Play is more than recreation—it's a human right that drives learning, equality, and belonging, yet unequal access continues to limit its universal promise.