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Images of President William Ruto and Opposition Leaders Raila Odinga sharing light moments at Kip Keino Classic brought to the fore the power of sports as a unifying factor
Images of President William Ruto and Opposition Leaders Raila Odinga laughing together in the stands at Kasarani Stadium during the Kip Keino Classic brought to the fore just how sports is a powerful unifying factor.
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The leaders were together again at the Nyayo Stadium on Sunday to witness Gor Mahia take on bitter rivals in the Mashemeji derby, a game Ingwe won 2-1.
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The two do not see eye-to-eye politically but at the weekend, their differences were put aside as they sat together, had light moments and enjoyed athletics and football action at the stadiums.
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“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where there was only despair,” said former South Africa President, the late Nelson Mandela in 2000.
All these were on show at Kasarani and Nyayo Stadium and while it is not a guarantee that it will yield a truce between the two political bigwigs, it inspires hope, given there are a number of examples where this was applied successfully. Pulse Sports highlights five incidents where sports was used to unite sworn enemies.
Drogba’s heroic speech for Ivory Coast
A Didier Drogba led Ivory Coast went into their final 2006 World Cup qualifier against Sudan in October 2005, needing a win and hoping that Cameroon, top of the group by one point, would fail to beat Egypt for them to seal a World Cup ticket.
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However, back home, Ivory Coast was hugely divided by a civil war that began in 2002. As fate would have it, Ivory Coast won 3-1 in Sudan while Cameroon and Egypt drew 1-1 to see the Indomitable Lions miss out on the World Cup while Ivory Coast sneaked through.
Drogba would lead the team into the now famous dressing room speech, urging people back home to use the historic moment to end war.
"Men and women of Ivory Coast," he began, as quoted by the BBC. "From the north, south, centre, and west, we proved today that all Ivorians can coexist and play together with a shared aim, to qualify for the World Cup."
"We promised you that the celebrations would unite the people, today we beg you on our knees," Drogba said in the dressing room while addressing his nation from Sudan. "The one country in Africa with so many riches must not descend into war. Please lay down your weapons and hold elections," Drogba urged.
It is a clip that would soon see the hostilities reduce as the warring camps began to engage, showing how sport can unite even the bitterest of enemies.
Algerian fans support Morocco
Despite political relations between their countries being at an all-time low, a section of Algerian football fans were happy to see the Moroccan team shine at the 2022 World Cup.
With their own national team having failed to qualify, many football lovers in Algeria turned to the Moroccan team and the Atlas Lions did not disappoint, going all the way to the semi-final, where they made history as the first African side to reach the last four at the World Cup.
Algeria supporters were more enthusiastic as they believed that the Moroccan team's achievement would have a positive impact on African football.
Algeria severed diplomatic ties with Morocco in August 2021, citing "hostile actions" from its neighbour, as relations between the two countries continued to deteriorate following an extended conflict mainly revolving around the Western Sahara.
Springboks’ 1995 World Cup win
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Mandela similarly recognised the unique power of sport to heal and bring together a deeply divided South Africa.
At a time of great tension over his appointment as the country’s first black president, Mandela appeared on the field after the Springboks won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, wearing the team’s traditional green jersey and cap.
Mandela handed the World Cup to Francois Pienaar and in that moment, he united the country and sent a message to every South African, black and white.
The Johannesburg stadium was filled largely with white South Africans, who were initially stunned but soon starting chanting “Nelson! Nelson!” in a moment that will be remembered for ever as the ultimate example of sport’s power to heal division.
One North and South Korea team
In the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, athletes from North and South Korea marched together.
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The two nations are even entering a combined women’s hockey team, in what the New York Times described as “the most dramatic gesture of reconciliation between them in a decade”.
They had trained together at a North Korean ski facility in the lead-up to the Games, and were supported by fans from both countries, as the North sent hundreds of supporters to Pyeongchang.
'Indo-Pak’ Express
The pro tennis doubles team of India’s Rohan Bopanna and Pakistan's Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, who had a successful partnership for many years, despite their nations being often in conflict, is another example.
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Fans from both countries would fill the stadiums for their matches, including, at the 2010 US Open. The team nicknamed themselves the Indo-Pak Express and started a campaign called “Stop War, Start Tennis”.
Qureshi would summarise it well, saying: "The crowd is getting bigger. [There are] more Indians and Pakistanis coming. They're all mixed together sitting in the crowd. You can't tell who is Pakistani and who is Indian. That's the beauty about sports."
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