Role of Sports Participation in Enhancing National Unity Among BS College Student Athletes in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

This research study has examined the importance of sport participation in increasing national cohesiveness among BS college students athletes in the Southern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. Data were gathered at one time, on a cross-sectional research design, and with a quantitative research method, on a sample of 301 student athletes chosen of the total population of 1220 using simple random sampling with the sample size calculated using the Yamane formula. The result output is a statistically significant, but weak positive correlation between sports participation and national unity, showing that students who engage in sports more are slightly more likely to exhibit higher levels of national unity. Nevertheless, the small R 2 value indicated that the level of sports participation only contributes a minor part of the difference in national cohesiveness, which implies that other kinds of social and environmental variables are also relevant. The conclusion is that though sports participation has a positive impact on enhancing national unity via teamwork, interaction, and common experiences, it must be considered as one of many factors that have an influence as opposed to being a determinant in defining national unity among college students.