Cuttack: "In today's times, wars are fought like games, and games are played like wars." With these words, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar opened the 7th Global Summit organised by the World Forum under the theme "Ethics and Leadership in Sports" in Volkswas, Basel, Switzerland. 

Speaking at the inauguration, Gurudev expressed that sports today have reached such a competitive intensity that victory has become everything, and only the winners are considered worthy of glory. The obsessive pursuit of records and fame has led to a deeply troubling unsportsmanlike mindset among some athletes.

Sri Sri address

On the other hand, he acknowledged the presence of sportspersons who uphold exemplary behavior, outstanding performance, ethical conduct, and true sportsmanship. Such athletes can inspire entire generations. He emphasized that in sports, as in life, one may win or lose, but it is important that both sides remain joyful and share in the spirit of the game. If this spirit is understood, sports can naturally become a platform for ethics and moral values instead of turning into a stage for aggression.

The summit further discussed how sports can be a benchmark for peaceful coexistence. Key topics included gender transparency, athletes’ mental health, and strategies for peak and sustainable performance. The forum also deliberated on the importance of fair play, maintaining team unity, patience, and, above all, how sports can teach ethical leadership applicable in politics and business.

Touching upon mental health, Gurudev remarked, “Before a child learns to walk, they begin to play. It’s a natural process in every human life. Then where do we go wrong? Why is it that, despite having music and sports as uplifting outlets, one-third of the global population feels lonely, indifferent, and discontented? It is time we reflect on this. If we treat life as a game, then war, grief, sorrow, and mistrust would no longer dominate our world.”

The summit also featured other notable speakers from across the globe. Among them were Kamya Karthikeyan, the 17-year-old mountaineer who has scaled the highest peaks of all seven continents; Kevin Young, Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder in the 400-meter hurdles; Svyatoslav Yurash, Member of Parliament from Ukraine; Palestinian footballer Honey Thaljieh; Euro '96 champion and television personality Thomas Helmer; India’s first female Asian Games gold medalist Divyakriti Singh; and Dr. Sanjay Pradhan, President of the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB).

Honey Thaljieh emphasized that sports have the potential to eliminate discrimination between nations and reduce communal hatred. She added that success is not merely about winning medals, but about how that success reflects in one's social journey. There was also significant discussion around the increasing emphasis on performance-enhancing substances. While some supported their use, others voiced concern that such practices represent a moral decline in sports.

Athletes who demonstrated unwavering commitment to ethics and leadership in sports were honored with awards. International footballer Xherdan Shaqiri was recognized for his long-standing dedication to sports and his efforts toward peacebuilding through athletics. Swiss rower Jeannine Mellen received an award for her exceptional contributions to mental health in sports.

As an independent advisor to the United Nations, the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB) has, for two decades, played a key role in advancing the global conversation on ethics in sports. Under the leadership of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, WFEB has partnered with the European Parliament, FIFA, Max Planck Institute, and the UN office in Geneva to promote the message that “values and performance are not opposing forces in sports, but complementary elements.” The summit concluded with hope that the global sports community will embrace and embody this message.