The benefits and limitations of using cricket as a sport for development tool in Samoa

Abstract

This study investigates opportunities and challenges associated with the use of sport -in this case cricket -as a community development tool in Samoa. This Pacific Island nation, like others in the region, has been the focus of various development programs in the post-colonial era, with developed economy neighbours like Australia and New Zealand providing aid funding. Some of these programs have involved sport as a development tool, underpinned either by funding from the national government, foreign aid agencies, or a combination of both. This paper aims to explore the use of sport as a community engagement tool by focusing on a cricket-fordevelopment (CFD) program in Samoa. The paper examines the activities of relevant sport and government organisations, and draws upon interviews with local stakeholders involved in the CFD process in Samoa. In short, the prime purpose of this paper is to identify and interpret -from the perspective of locals -what the CFD program has brought to Samoan communities thus far. This is important because, to date, there has been an absence of qualitative inquiry into the efficacy of sport-for-development programs in Samoa, and very limited research in a Pacific Islands context.

Sport-for-Development in the South Pacific Region: Macro-, Meso-, and Micro-Perspectives

“…In line with previous work in the SFD sector (see e.g., Khoo et al, 2014;Sugden, 2010), their research underscored the importance SPORT-FOR-DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC 10 of understanding and considering local context within a SFD program. Here, this related to putting relevant strategic parameters in place that would help facilitate future benefits, including macro-level education impacts.…”

“…Schulenkorf et al's (2016) review of SFD research demonstrated that over half of all published SFD research studies examined the actual outcomes of specific programs and interventions. As interventions are often supported by government and sponsor funding, this focus is hardly surprising; in fact, pressures to explain and justify external spending against desired outcomes have led to an increased emphasis on monitoring and evaluating sport-based development initiatives (Schulenkorf & Adair, 2014).…”

Configuring relationships between state and non-state actors: a new conceptual approach for sport and development

“…• International sporting bodies such as the IOC and FIFA have often made strong policy statements in support of the role of sport in development and have funded a variety of organisations to implement programmes in particular regions, countries and contexts (Giulianotti, 2011a;Manzo, 2012). There are also examples of national governing bodies and other sport organisations that have engaged with development issues relevant to their own country contexts (Banda, 2017;Khoo et al, 2014).…”

Leveraging Sport Events to Maximize Community Benefits in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

“…This outcome speaks to the difficulty in achieving buy in from all (potential) event stakeholders, and also reinforces Misener's (2015) argument for the importance of the policy environment and how this can enable or constrain the leveraging of an event. Moreover, in the case of externally funded development projects, local power dynamics and the pressure to deliver development outcomes present significant factors that impact the willingness to cooperate, and often, organizations will only contribute if they can claim and sell project outcomes as their own exclusive achievements (see Khoo et al, 2014;Schulenkorf & Edwards, 2012). For the FSJP Festival, it meant that significant opportunities to maximize educational and health-related outcomes remained unused.…”

“…The sporting festival had a predominant focus on football (or soccer) games and interschool competitions, but also included other sporting activities including rugby, netball, and kirikiti-the local and traditional version of cricket played in Sāmoa (for more information on the game and its origins, see Khoo, Schulenkorf, & Adair, 2014). In addition to sport, the festival also offered cultural activities, educational workshops, and healthrelated awareness sessions that were co-organized by local stakeholders, including the Sāmoan Ministry of Health, the Red Cross, the Sāmoan Victims Support Group, local educators and social workers, as well as community members including elders and volunteers.…”