In the last years, we have seen how Colombia has been worthy of the “Next sporting power” title, thanks to the rising tide of athletes that day-to-day lift the name of our country high.

All the above has generated a significant change in the most talked issues by the Colombian people, who apart to talk from the typical social and economic factors that afflict the country, they produce real debates and a sense of optimism around sports.

It is undeniable that we are a sleeping giant in sports and beyond naming all the Colombian sports figures who echo and serve as ambassadors to the world in more than twenty sports, we have the challenging task of discovering and putting into practice the real benefits, in social and economic terms,  leading the country to become a sporting power in South America.

Let’s start with the most obvious and what we are most passionate about, sports as a source of patriotism. Who is not proud when we win a championship, when we tell the heroic stories of our athletes or the fact, we start to get teary-eyed when we hear the national anthem in different competitive scenarios? Sports is a source of pride and an incentive to forget about the problems that our country is enduring.

We are seeing how sports acquire relevance in the list of the most often commented subjects in informal talks among Colombians. A clear example was when social media exploited Egan Bernal´s winning the Tour De France, the first one for Colombia; we were deeply moved by stories like Julian’s, the kid who could not hold back the tears at Egan´s triumph. We could say that Julian reflects the companionship and sense of belonging when something good happens to a Colombian. This fact reminds us that it is well worth to stay and struggle for Colombia in different fields, it reminds us not everything is lost, and we can contribute from our personal stories. Although we cannot change events we have put so much effort to leave behind us, we can change the future perception of the country.

In terms of public policies, we all have paraphrased the following: “Without the adequate support from the government, important athletes have emerged and won medals in different disciplines. How would things be if that support really existed in all the regions?”. Beyond politicizing sports, we must stand behind any initiative that stimulates the formulation of plans and strategies for promoting aspects such technical, medical, social and economic for athletes.

Thanks to the pressure of different athletes and the government's desire to support issues that generate social outrage, important progress has been made in the construction of high-performance venues and the creation of the Sports Ministry. However, this is not enough, and it is necessary to increase the budget for promoting sports in the regions.

It must be noted that sports are an economic booster for other industries. We have held important sporting events and what comes to Colombia as the host of important competitions, can be translated into an increase in the number of tourists, the improvement of the country´s infrastructure, the growth of the manufacturing sector destined to the production of specialized clothing, among others.

Sports have become a measure of strength between world powers, which is why countries such as China, the United States, Russia and Brazil allocate a percentage of their GDP to promote athletics and although the difference in economic and social terms with these countries is evident, if we can take them as references that investing in sports is worth it, more when we have the required resources: We are passionate, disciplined, “berracos”, and we have determined that with less we have done more, so it is imaginable what Colombia could do and be, if we take sports seriously as a solution to the country's problems.

LET´S BET ON SPORTS!