Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is fundamental to sports, whether they are played among friends, for recreational purposes or in pursuit of excellence at the top levels. It is based on three interdependent principles: equity, competitive spirit and fair play. It is therefore important for athletes to demonstrate these principles at all times when practising sports.

Equity

Equity is making sure that opponents are, whenever possible, fairly matched. It means that each participant has an equal chance of winning.

Competitive spirit

Sports require all participants to always be fully committed. The pursuit of victory drives athletes to perform to the best of their abilities, but it also allows them to continuously improve their performance.

However, the desire to win sometimes leads to unwanted outbursts. Aiming to win at all costs is therefore not representative of a healthy desire to compete and ignores the fundamental values of sportsmanship.

Fair play

Fair play in sports is only possible when opponents play by the rules. It therefore requires participants to be familiar with the rules of the sport and to commit to following them. By committing to following the rules a sports contract is created, and the person who takes part in the competition has a moral obligation to respect it.

The following examples of actions show how the three principles of sportsmanship can be put into practice at the same time:

• lending the opponent a piece of equipment so they can participate
• pointing out a foul we committed, even though the referee did not see it
• stopping the game when an opponent is hurt