Traditional sports and games will be pitted against the increased interest in modern competition at the 9th Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development, to be held on Wednesday, 26 March 2025.
The annual debate will see athletes and experts address the theme, ‘Preserving traditional games honours cultural identity but is a distraction from the future-focused demands of modern sports’, at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s headquarters in London from 17:00 to 19:00 GMT.
The debate, which will also be accessible online, will be moderated by Radio, TV and Podcast presenter Tolu 'Lady T’ Adepegba. The debate will be opened by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, and the President of Commonwealth Sport, formerly the Commonwealth Games Federation, Dr Chris Jenkins OBE.
The one team will showcase how traditional games can serve as a vital link to cultural heritage and social well-being, while the opposing team will argue that modern sports can help drive international competition and innovation.
Arguing for the motion will be Vincent M John, Chairman of the Cultural Games Association UK, a charitable company that promotes traditional games primarily originating from Africa and the Caribbean. Vincent will be joined by Stuart MacDonald, the Founder-Director of ICR Research, the UK’s leading consultancy researching the role of culture and education in international relations.
Next on the panel will be Noora Virtanen, a Finland international lacrosse player and Acting Head of Communications at Canada House. The final speaker will be Ranjit Singh, Head Coach of Wolverhampton Wrestling Club and founding member of the British Kabaddi League.
Arguing against the motion will be Chester King, President of the Esports Federation and Vice-President of the European Esports Federation. Chester will be joined by British Paralympic track and field athlete Stef Reid, a former world champion, five-time world record holder and triple Paralympic medallist.
Completing the panel arguing against the motion will be Dr Rory Summerley, Course Leader in Game Design and Development at London South Bank University and Zoya Zia, Senior Impact and Evaluation Officer at Chance to Shine Cricket, a national charity supporting more than 600,000 children each year.
Online and in-person attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of the panellists after the debate has concluded. The event will conclude with a winner being chosen by the independent adjudicators.
The debate, which is being hosted in partnership with Commonwealth Sport, will commemorate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, which takes place annually on the 6th of April. The debate comes just over a year before Commonwealth Sport’s signature event, the Commonwealth Games, takes place in Glasgow between 23 July and 2 August 2026.
While the focus on professional, competitive sports continues to shape the global landscape, the preservation of traditional games offers an essential counterbalance – a means of maintaining cultural diversity, fostering community, and celebrating human creativity in its various forms. Conversations will touch on how the two can thrive side by side, each offering something unique and valuable to the world.
This dialogue is timely given the recent launch of the Commonwealth Sport Declaration on Reconciliation and Partnership with Indigenous People at the 11th Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting (11CSMM), held in Paris last year.
Each year, the event offers a platform for Commonwealth ministers, senior government officials, high commissioners, athletes, academics, sports advocates, representatives from Commonwealth accredited organisations, and young people to discuss sport-related issues.
Register to attend the debate online
About the 9th Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development
Media contact
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Ben Maloney Senior Communications Officer, Communications Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
