President Daniel Chapo has said that investing in young people is the safest bet to secure Mozambique’s future, identifying education and the strengthening of school sport as priorities in the development of responsible, upright, competitive and patriotic citizens.
Chapo was speaking on Saturday in the city of Maxixe, Inhambane province, during the opening of the 16th edition of the School Sports Games Festival, Inhambane-2026, a competition bringing together children and adolescents and scheduled to end on 6 September.
This year’s edition has 1,548 students competing for medals in eight disciplines, namely handball, athletics, basketball, football, gymnastics, volleyball, chess and traditional games.
“Investing in young people is never an expense. It is the safest investment a nation can make in its own future, because only in this way will we build a Mozambique that is healthier, more disciplined, more upright, more responsible, more competitive, more innovative, more united and more patriotic,” he said.
The Head of State also highlighted solidarity, one of the mottos of the School Sports Games, stressing that victories are not achieved in isolation. According to him, this principle should also guide the building of a society of citizens committed to a common identity and the country’s development.
“When a team wins, each athlete puts collective success above individual glory. In sport, as in the life of a nation, we go further when we move forward together, when each citizen understands that their progress only truly makes sense if it also contributes to the progress of others,” he said.
Chapo encouraged participants to make the most of the experience provided by the festival, highlighting friendship and learning about the country’s diversity as achievements that transcend medals.
“Make the most of this opportunity because the greatest prize of this festival may not be a medal, but the friendship you will take with you for life, and the awareness that we belong to an extraordinarily diverse but deeply united country,” he stressed.
Speaking about common identity, the President said Mozambicans share a single collective destiny, founded on the values of national unity, one flag, one anthem and one nation.
“That is precisely why sport tends to be one of the greatest schools of patriotism, because it teaches us that we can compete for 90 minutes and remain brothers when the game ends,” he explained.
He added that when an athlete wears the national colours, raises the flag or sings the national anthem, they cease to compete solely in their own name and begin to represent all Mozambicans.
“They compete for all of us, around 35 million Mozambicans. They carry with them the pride, hope and dignity of millions of Mozambicans. It is this awareness that transforms sport into one of the noblest bonds of patriotism in the world and in our country,” he said.
Daniel Chapo also drew a connection between the values learned through sport and those he considers necessary for Mozambique to accelerate its development.
“The values we learn on a sports field are exactly the same ones Mozambique needs to accelerate its development: discipline to meet targets, teamwork to overcome challenges, respect for the rules to strengthen institutions that must be upright, with upright people, and perseverance to turn difficulties into opportunities,” he said.
According to the President, sport should not be limited to training athletes, but should also contribute to developing citizens capable of participating in the construction of a stronger economy and a more united, cohesive and prosperous society.
In his message to the student athletes, Chapo urged them not to be afraid to dream big, arguing that the conditions in which each person begins their journey should not determine how far they can go.
“Study with dedication, train with discipline, respect your teachers, honour your families, especially your parents, respect your elders, respect your classmates and protect the environment where you live and study,” he urged.
“And, above all, always serve Mozambique with honesty, discipline, responsibility, competence, integrity and patriotism,” he added.
Chapo again highlighted the country’s confidence in its young people, saying that the true success of the School Sports Games will be measured by the competition’s impact on the participants’ development.
“In a few days the competitions will end, the medals will find their winners, the fields will fall silent again, as we saw in the city of Chimoio last week. But the true triumph will be if each student returns to their community more aware that serving Mozambique through work, honesty, responsibility, competence, discipline, integrity, patriotism and solidarity is the greatest victory any citizen can achieve,” he said.
In the final part of his speech, the President drew a parallel between sporting champions and champions of citizenship, arguing that the country needs young people committed to values that contribute to development and peace.
“The country needs champions on the sports fields, but it needs even more champions of citizenship. It needs champions of discipline, responsibility, competence, integrity, honest, upright, dignified and lawful work, solidarity and peace,” he concluded.
Source: AIM Moçambique
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