Since the beginning of the year, eight sports personalities have linked up with sportanddev.org as ambassadors. The website, which is managed by SAD, promotes dialogue between actors in the field of sport and development.

Stéphane Chapuisat, Natasha Jonas and Dr. Elizabeth Odera are all well-known in their home countries. They want to use their fame to further spread the idea of sport as a tool for development. They know what they are talking about: they wouldn’t be the people they are today without the crucial role sport played in their lives.

Stéphane Chapuisat

“Through football, I learnt the importance of teamwork, something which is also important in other aspects of life.”

As one of the most successful Swiss footballers of all time, Stéphane Chapuisat is unforgettable for many in Switzerland. After his flawless career which included a Champions League win, he is now working as chief scout for Young Boys Bern. The former Borussia Dortmund striker also works on social projects. He knows inside and out what a connecting force sport can be. sportanddev.org is pleased to have a “goal-getter” like him on the team.

Dr. Elizabeth Odera

“I believe that sport has the power to change lives, and I am honoured to represent so many great people and organisations from around the world who have had a positive influence on society.”

Dr. Elizabeth Odera, from Kenya, achieved a lot in sport. And she has achieved even more by using sport as a tool for development. As a professional tennis player, she enjoyed the freedom to travel, meeting lots of people and hearing their stories. After her active career, she started to share her valuable experience. She has participated in various education and training programmes in her home country, reaching 11,000 children and young people. As the head of the Sadili Oval Sports Academy and the Malezi Foundation, she is trying to make it possible for as many children as possible to access sport and its inspirational effects. She shares her knowledge with people from around the world, in line with sportanddev.org’s vision.

Thanks to ambassadors such as Stéphane Chapuisat and Elizabeth Odera, the words “sport” and “development” will be heard together more and more. They are thereby contributing to SAD’s core aim: to see sport as a school for life, which helps people to deal with daily challenges and to actively shape their lives.