Of the three components of this topic: sport, culture and education, culture is the most important and the most basic. Distinct cultures are passed on without being expressly taught. Education is the process through which cultures continue to exist.
In traditional societies, sport and games developed from daily activities. Many of these activities were functional. The diverse societies in the world have over a period of time evolved what they identify as the sports enshrined in their cultural and educational values.
Currently in Zambia, there are two kinds of sport. The first is made up of the successors to the traditional games, widely played, which are purely social and recreational. The second is that of games that are originally from other countries. These sports were introduced in schools and in community centres, mainly in urban areas. A new aspect of competition was introduced where players were rewarded for winning. These sports, which developed out of the cultures which devised them, were introduced into Zambian systems of culture and education.
In a real sense, sport and education are both cultural activities that play major roles in shaping an individual’s personality and also give a people some identity through their traditions. Where a society treats sport, culture and education as interrelated factors of human development, people benefit from all three. They are fit, educated to meet the needs of the society and secure in their cultural identity.
