Sport brings together millions of people, regardless of their sex, colour, gender, age, nationality or religion. It breaks down barriers and builds bridges where boundaries usually exist. In other words, it has the potential to foster inclusion, mutual respect and acceptance of diversity, and also to promote social integration. 

Due to its welcoming and diverse nature, however, sport faces a number of challenges with regards to  incidences of racism and discrimination. Acts of discriminatory violence on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or socioeconomic status sadly remain a daily reality in all Member States of the European Union (EU). Furthermore, according to the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan (2020-2025), hate-motivated violence and harassment often remains unreported. This leaves victims vulnerable and inhibits action to bring about positive change. Not only do these acts have a traumatic effect on the victims’ physical and mental health, but they also send a negative message to whole groups or communities, denying them the right to participate in society. Finally, the lack of effective monitoring systems to record racism and discrimination in sport makes it difficult for relevant authorities and organisations to identify, respond to and mitigate acts of discriminatory violence.

SENTRY SPORT believes in the potential of sports to convey human values. Sport coaches, operators and other sport professionals can play an important role in detecting acts of discriminatory violence, supporting victims, referring them to relevant organisations or services, and shaping conflict-mediation actions. 

The SENTRY SPORT project aimed to empower grassroots sport stakeholders in monitoring, preventing and mitigating acts of discrimination by providing them with suitable and adequate tools and methodology.

The project was led by UISP Nazionale. The consortium included:

• International Sport and Culture Association – ISCA (Denmark)
• European Forum for Urban Security – Efus (France)
• Fundación Red Deporte y Cooperación – RDC (Spain)
• Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation – VIDC (Austria)
• Koinoniki Synetairistiki Epicheirissyllogikis Kai Koinonikis Ofeleiasen-Drasei) – Koinsep en Drasei (Greece)

The main activities of the project were:

The SENTRY SPORT project final event in Saint-Denis – September 2023

Host city of the Rugby World Cup 2023 and of the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, Efus’ member city Saint-Denis, near Paris, hosted the SENTRY SPORT project final event on 19 September 2023. In the presence of Deputy Mayor and Delegate Councillor for the Department Oriane Filhol, it was an opportunity for local authority representatives and actors of the sports sector to discuss the results of the project, but also the organisation of large events and their impact on local safety and security. 

📷 Photo/UISP, Saint-Denis, 2023

As a partner of the project, Efus elaborated a set of recommendations addressed to policy makers, mostly on national and European level, as well as institutional and civil society representatives with the aim of influencing the policy agenda regarding the surfacing, prevention and mitigation of acts of discriminations in the sport sector (IO6).