JORDAN SPORT IS GOING GREEN

Jordan sport is to embark on an ambitious year to make it one of the most environmentally friendly industries in the Kingdom.

The Jordan Olympic Committee’s Sport and Environment Committee has unveiled an ambitious plan to change the way sport is delivered with the environment to be at the heart of all matters.

Plans include working with federations to transform their facilities while educating athletes and the wider sporting family to embrace environmentally friendly practices.

“We have an agenda that creates awareness about the importance of a clean environment in sport,” said Ziad Al Alawneh, the committee’s secretary general. “We will be working with all entities this year to ensure that sport is a much more greener industry.

“Initiatives will include workshops to spread the importance of adopting best practices, as well as forming teams with Jordan University and Al Isra’ University to implement projects which include tree planting as well as raising awareness.”

Just as important though will be convincing the national federations of the massive role they can play.

“Sports facilities must become environmentally-friendly places and we are using the Prince Rashid Hall in Sports City as our first project with a number of new systems that will include a water programme as well as clean electricity through solar power,” he said. “The project saves a lot of money in the long term and we hope to show these benefits to all the other sports facilities and federations so they will do the same.”

The Committee, which includes representatives from the Greater Amman Municipality, Ministry of Environment and The Royal Department for Environment Protection (Rangers), is also in the process of publishing a guide that is available to the sporting community about how we can all make a difference.

The Committee intends to use high profile events like the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup later this year to promote sport and the environment and will be holding 12 sessions in different clubs to spread awareness.

A welcome addition is the 2016 award to recognise athletes who have done the most to protect the environment with an overall winner to be called the 2016 Ambassador of Sport and Environment.

“2016 will be a big year for the committee and with the support of the sporting community we can really make a difference and lead the way,” said Al Alawneh.