Curbing Child Labour through Sports in India: Analysis of the COE Taekwondo Program

Abstract

Curbing Child Labour through Sports in India: Analysis of the COE Taekwondo Program

Abhishek Dubey Global Sport Management, Department of Physical Education Graduate School Seoul National University

The purpose of this dissertation research was to examine and understand if sports could act as a tool to curb and reduce the ill effects of child labor. An issue that has been a barrier for social welfare in India and a grave concern globally too. The research examines a sports policy COE which has adopted sports as a soft power for social inclusion of the urban and rural community as one of its objectives. It reviews models where sport is used as a catalyst to encounter social issue and if the model can be replicated in different sectors of the society for disadvantaged communities. The research examines the experiences of the participants in the COE sports programme along with data on how the programme has supported the kids to be released from labor activities. An analysis of the role of Taekwondo COE programme, government and its stakeholders in delivering social inclusion and sport development in the community has been conducted to weigh the feasibility of replicating such programmes at large. The research is conducted at the COE Taekwondo centre in the province of Gujarat, India. The implication of sport management in felicitating these programmes are discussed to understand the need and importance of sports management and policy makers in its formative and summative stages. It was found that sports for development programmes can act as an excellent hook for social cohesion, especially in the disadvantage communities as well as a measure to reduce the magnitude of a social issue like child labor.

Keywords : Child labor, COE, Sports policy Student Number: 2015-22360