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Published on August 20, 2007

His Olympic medal is only one of numerous sports trophies he's amassed in speed skating, but Johann Olav Koss is far happier when the world wins with him.

He's the president and CEO of the international humanitarian organisation Right to Play, which has as its slogan, "When children play, the world wins".

As such, Koss coaches children all over the planet on "how to play" and, more importantly, how to adapt in life. It's a far more rewarding job, the Norwegian says on a visit to Bangkok, than being a professional trainer of Olympic athletes.

"There are hundreds of coaches out there," says Koss, who could easily be making a fortune coaching skaters or even as a medical doctor, the profession for which he was schooled.

He broke 11 world records and won four Olympic gold medals and the world all-round championships, but he believes he's having a much greater impact in helping disadvantaged youngsters and opening up possibilities for them.

In Thailand Koss visited a refugee camp in Tak's Mae Sot district where Right to Play has been working for two years. His team has been approaching communities in Trang that were affected by the tsunami, and is planning on rebuilding villages in Satun and Songkhla.

It all started when Koss went to war-torn areas of Ethiopia as an ambassador for Olympic Aid, set up by the International Olympic Committee in Lillehammer, where he won three of his gold medals at the 1994 Winter Games.

Koss says he discovered that every child needs a hero. The children in Ethiopia had only soldiers as role models, but he saw them become excited when a group of cyclists passed them on the street. Athletes, he realised, could be their heroes instead of warriors.

In sporting terms, Right to Play doesn't aim for goals or gold medals. Its victory is in the way the game is played. Its symbol - a red ball - signifies learning, hope, health and happiness at its projects around the world.

"We're not producing Olympic champions," Koss says, "we're building programmes for the children to enjoy and learn through."

School isn't always an option in many countries, so Right to Play wants to at least ensure the youngsters a chance to learn from games.

"What they learn from the game can be applied to real life when they grow up," Koss says.

One game that's taught is designed to show the participants that social stigma - which some kids carry because they have HIV, or they're poor, or they're odd-looking - amounts to nothing.

The children stand in a circle, each with a bottle on the ground between his legs. The bottle, they're told, represents whatever it is they feel uncomfortable about in themselves. The object is to protect themselves - not the bottle - from the ball as it's kicked or thrown toward them.

As the game progresses, the bottles are soon abandoned.

"Children learn best through game they enjoy," says Right to Play regional director Michael Bedford. Everyone learns better when they're in a good mood.

Koss adds that the true benefit of sport is that everyone needs to be physically active, regardless of age. Children under five learn coordination and motor skills, those six to 12 learn about values and teamwork. Those up to 18 years old hone the specialised skills they need to achieve things in life.

Having worked with communities around the globe, Koss is all the more convinced that sport can bring children back from street and into the classroom.

Has Right to Play been a success, then? It's too early to say, he says, but street crime involving young people has decreased in the communities where it's had a role.

"At least more kids are going to school regularly," Koss smiles.

Sirinya Wattanasukchai

The Nation