At the Peace and Sport (www.peace-sport.org) Forum, I attended a session entitled 'Champions on and off the field'. My mind immediately turned to two sports, rugby and football, especially in the light of the past months and the debates which have ensued since the World Cup, and the seemingly perpetual headlines surrounding footballers from the Premier League, especially in the light of the recent super-injunction scandal in the UK.

A distinguished panel of elite athletes took the stage after an opening address from Sergey Bubka, former Olympic & World Pole Vault Champion. Naturally versed in the values of the 'Peace and Sport' organisation, they each gave moving testimonies of how through sport, they had learned the deeper values of respect, learning from failure and the possibility of a life dedicated teaching these values to others. Of course it is immeasurably important for sporting stars like these to profess these values, but in an environment where all had bought into the message my mind could not help but return to the headlines which invariably dominate our press and consequently form our perceptions of the sporting elite.

But ultimately, who cares if international sporting icons are throwing dwarves, cheating on their wives, or ultimately pay no attention to the wider world of politics, peace-building and justice? What about the 'rest' of the sporting elite who have not made the link between their actions and consequent impact, or simply choose to ignore it? The argument, as proposed by many during the super-injunction scandal, is: what celebrity sportsmen and women (although it appears to be the men who hog the headlines as far as controversy is concerned) do off the pitch, or court, or track is irrelevant and simply their own business.

The floor was then given to John Amaechi, the British former NBA player and qualified psychologist. In typically provocative and challenging rhetoric he suggested the absurdity of the relationship between 'simply putting a ball in a hoop' in his own life and the fact that when he started to open his mouth, microphones and cameras began to be thrust in front of him. He claimed that when sports stars claim sport has 'changed my life', often all they simply mean is that they now don't have to pay for food in restaurants in their home town or when they get pulled over for speeding, they simply have to sign the ticket rather than pay the fine. It is often embarrassing when elite sports stars are paraded before a good cause and organisation they have little knowledge about and purport to fully support the cause, when the next day they could be involved in a brawl on the pitch watched by 100 times as many young people. Which act will have more impact on the leaders of tomorrow, both in their own country and in the developing world where they are perhaps revered to a greater degree?

Naturally it is no bad thing that top Premier League players, for example, put their names to the best causes, but what Mr Amaechi was alluding to is the deeper truth that to be a truly great sporting icon, success in your discipline is not enough. Responsibility should be taken, and encouraged by society to be taken, if you reach the top of your sport to understand your potential impact for good and how best to lend your name to promote peace, justice, equality in the world.

Maybe this is a vision focused more on the extroverted rather than the introverted celebrities in sport. Some people naturally shy away from the spotlight, and perhaps it would be going to far to suggest these people should have to get in the spotlight. But ultimately, as I think Mr Amaechi was saying, that those at the top of sport should have a profound understanding of the potential impact they can have, both positive and negative, and if they do not have this understanding for whatever reason, it is the task of the media and civil society to make them aware of this; both in the realm of taking the podium to promote good causes and at the very least accepting their responsibility to act as good role models. What many in the West forget is that not only are these stars role models for young people in difficult circumstances where they live, but also for those in war-torn, violent and poverty-stricken countries around the world.

With regard to the stars' private lives, a sense of 'entitlement' to a playboy lifestyle as a result of the hours of practice and perfection is often cited as justification. Certainly Tiger Woods made such noises after news his numerous affairs broke – I have worked harder than most people on the planet to get to where I have been, so why should I not reap the benefits of my status and the attention I now receive? Naturally the benefits of hard work should be enjoyed, but with power and status comes responsibility, and in the case of Mr Woods, the responsibility was surely either to his wife or choosing not to get married in the first place.

Elite sportsmen and women (especially those in the highest profile sports) do have a mandate to understand their potential impact for good in the world. It is of course within their right to choose not to act on this, however two points must be made to them. Firstly, they have a responsibility to accept their actions, even in 'private' have ramifications greater than just in their own lives. They are human and will make mistakes, that is naturally accepted; but it is another thing to justify the near hedonistic lifestyles lived by many of the modern sporting celebrities. Secondly society must encourage them to use their status for good, not only for the benefit of others but also for the benefit of themselves. The sense of fulfilment and passion of the athletes I met at the Peace and Sport Forum who have dedicated their lives to creating a better world for others was clear to see. The question must be asked: why would others not want the same depth and experience of life?