8th Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development

Event date: 26 March 2024, 14:00 - 16:30 (GMT)
Sport

The Commonwealth Secretariat, in partnership with the Sport for Development Coalition, will host the 8th annual Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development on 26 March 2024.

The debate will commemorate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, which takes place annually on the 6th of April. Each year, the event offers a platform for Commonwealth senior ministers, government officials, athletes, academics, sports advocates, representatives from Commonwealth accredited organisations, and young people to discuss sport-related issues.

Commonwealth experts in two high-profile panels will debate the motion: Artificial Intelligence is the answer to accelerating the power of sport to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

This year’s debate will focus on whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used to harness the power of sport to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. It will enable insightful conversations around the opportunities and threats of AI in the world of sport and address how AI-led solutions can impact social development in health, education, and youth engagement.

The debate is being hosted during the Commonwealth Year of Youth, which aims to put the issues of young people at the centre of the global agenda and offers them opportunities to amplify their voices among their peers, thought leaders and government officials. 

Debating teams

Arguing for the motion:

  • Preeti Shetty, Founder and CEO, Upshot
  • Ollie Bell, Co-founder and CEO, Roster
  • Verere Oyearone, Elite Volleyball Athlete and FIVB L2 Coach

Arguing against the motion:

  • Rohn Malhotra, Co-founder and Managing Director of SportsTechX
  • Professor Alberto Carrio, Director of Research Programs, Barcelona School of Management & Philosophy of Law, Pompeu Fabra University
  • Helen Rowbotham, CEO of Access Sport

 

For more information, please contact Karina Gosalia, Health Research Officer, Commonwealth Secretariat.


Learn more about last year’s debate

About the Year of Youth