Durban - Government has committed to the recognition of physical education and sport as a fundamental human right at the National Sport Science Conference of Sport and Recreation.
The theme for the fifth edition of the conference is sport, recreation and physical education "as essential triad".
The department was represented by Minster Makhenkesi Stofile and his deputy Gert Oosthuizen.
Stofile was adamant in his opening address, that sport is "more than to entertain participants and spectators, it is a human right". Therefore, the conference, which is a platform to exchange information about sport development and related issues, had to speak to the masses.
This year, the composition of delegates for the three-day conference has changed a bit - students, coaches, and sportspeople have been invited so that the research can be filtered through to grassroots level.
While South Africa has made great strides in addressing the imbalances in access to sporting facilities and resources across the colour line, challenges are still prevalent.
"The conference must try to provide practical solutions to this problem," the minister said on Wednesday.
One area in which South Africa has made notable progress is women's rights, but Stofile still urged that gender issues in sport, especially in team sport, receive attention.
"Our parliament and legislatures are among the leaders in the world in terms of women in senior positions. The government departments have set clear targets for women and people with disabilities in the public service.
"In this pursuit for the movement of women and the elimination of gender disparities, sport cannot be left out," said Stofile.
Apart from the social benefits that sport brings, the minister added that "sport can be used as a mechanism to trigger and sustain economic development".
Following South Africa's success in hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup, developing countries and municipalities must be encouraged to bid for hosting mega events, according to Stofile.
"The 2010 FIFA World Cup afforded all South Africans to re-brand our country and banish afro-pessimism. Events like the World Cup do not only contribute to social cohesion. They also contribute to the attainment of the UN's Millennium Development goals and African solidarity," said Sofile.
Meanwhile, Oosthuizen is hoping that this conference and continued research in improving athletes' performances will show at the 2012 London Olympics.
The deputy minister said while South Africa has proved its ability to host world class events, the country must also excel in all sporting events.
