As the Olympic and Paralympic Games proved this summer, sports have the unique ability to bring people together peacefully.
As part of its Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative, the U.S. Department of State brought 18 young female athletes and two coaches from India and Pakistan together recently for the first joint India-Pakistan sports exchange program.
Regardless of their country of origin, these athletes and coaches became a team. They shared laughs, started a new conversation with one another, and encouraged each other to excel both on and off the soccer field.
With a focus on peace building, the India-Pakistan soccer exchange also highlights the importance of using sports as a means of empowerment. According… more »
Table tennis may not be prime time viewing for all Olympics fans, as tonight’s Closing Ceremonies in London likely will be. But Team USA Table Tennis is gaining new followers by acting as ambassadors for their sport and country by playing their favorite game with kids in East London.
“There were a few players out there who could really play so that was a good surprise,” said Team USA player Ariel Hsing.
Sixteen-year old Erica Wu is the same age as many of the Tower Hamlets kids and teens she’s meeting. For the first-time Olympian, this is her chance to make an impact beyond the arena.
“It’s really great to come out and spread the sport since table tennis isn’t as popular here as in like Asia or something, so it was really fun meeting all the kids,” she said.
Some on the all-teen, table tennis team have made it to the Olympics before… more »
About the Author: Justin Teitell serves as an intern with the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Ethiopia Outreach Program.
August 12 is International Youth Day, and this year’s theme is “Building a Better World by Partnering with Youth.” As an intern with USAID’s Outreach Program in Ethiopia, I recently spent a week working with 560 young people between ages 13 and 20 doing just that. I helped the U.S. Embassy’s Cultural Affairs Team run a weeklong soccer camp co-sponsored by Sports United and featuring two sports envoys from Major League Soccer: Tony Sanneh and Kate Markgraf.
U.S. Department of State Announces Sports Visitor Program with Tunisian Swimmers
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC June 26, 2012
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) announces a sports exchange program that will bring 13 athletes—12 youth and one coach—to the United States from June 26 to July 9. This program marks the fourth sports exchange with Tunisia, following up on basketball Sports Visitor and Sports Envoys programs in 2008, 2010, and 2012.
During the first half of their visit, participants will have an opportunity to attend the 2012 USA Olympics Swimming Trials in Omaha, NE. The delegation will also participate in a Special Olympics session and interact and train with their American counterparts. The final part of the program will take place in Fort Lauderdale, FL where the delegation will take part in a series of intensive swimming clinics, strength and conditioning trainings, and educational summer camp programs alongside American youth. Throughout the two-week program, the group will participate in swimming clinics and related activities with their American peers as well as engage in educational sessions on nutrition, conflict resolution, and disability sports. MORE.
London 2012 Olympics Countdown Calls for Friendly Competition
Today marks 75 days until the start of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. As London prepares to welcome the world for the Olympics, the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. organized a medley of sports activities or “Embassy Olympics,” in recognition last month of the “100 Days To Go” mark. On April 18, international colleagues from the diplomatic community joined to compete in the “Embassy Olympics.” SportsUnited representatives from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs along with their colleagues in the Bureau of International Information Programs and Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs were key “players” in the event.
Even the rainy weather — true to form for a British activity — did not dampen the spirits of the participants. Embassy teams enthusiastically represented countries that have previously hosted the Olympics… more »
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![U.S. Department of State employees pose for a photograph after participating in Embassy Olympics at Reeves Field American University in Washington, D.C., on April 18, 2012, to mark 100 days until the start of the London Olympics. [Photography copyright Tony Powell/ British Embassy]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018081358im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0513_team_usa_m.jpg)
