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An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including sports diplomacy in the U.S. in the 1970s, surfing tourism and cultural diplomacy in the 1960s and 1970s, and Canada-U.S. hockey diplomacy.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics related to the role of sports in international politics and U.S. foreign relations in the 20th century.

Universalist claims are often made about sport which is, as a consequence, increasingly written into national and international policy as an entitlement of citizenship or even human right. Further, in most countries physical education (PE) is a compulsory component of children's education, and sport is seen as central to this. Consequently, in the interests of justice sport must aspire to be egalitarian, that is, relevant to and meaningful for boys and men, and girls and women. In this context three fundamental questions are asked in relation to sport: (1) Do all citizens want to participate? (2) Who counts as a citizen? and (3) What are justice and equality? Feminist political and citizenship theory particularly the work of Pateman, Lister and Fraser is used to explore these questions and interrogate the ‘who’ of citizenship and the ‘what’ of justice in relation to framing sport policy in Europe and the UK. It is argued that notwithstanding the extensive use of the Council of Europe definition of sport,1and despite or even because of the widespread adoption of the language of gender equality and gender mainstreaming, although formal sport citizenship rights might be accorded to all individuals and regarded as gender neutral, this masks a discourse of androcentric sport citizenship. This has captured European and UK sport policy and provision and is hindering further progress towards gender justice in sport and therefore PE. Given the universal and compulsory aspirations of sport particularly within PE, gender justice should be conceptualised not only as cultural recognition, political representation and economic redistribution within the normalised frame of competitive performance sport or ‘sport for sports sake’; but also as a critical meta-political remapping and reframing of sport as sport and physical recreation or ‘sport for all’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines the governance of Indigenous sports in Canada over the past 40 years. Drawing from the notion of citizenship regimes, it looks at the different institutional arrangements, rules, and understandings that have guided and shaped Canadian sports policy. Through a comparative analysis of the Native Sports and Recreation Program (1972-81) and the North American Indigenous Games (1990-2008), it demonstrates a shift from strategies of governance based on social citizenship -- in which state agencies aimed to assimilate Indigenous peoples under federal programs as disadvantaged members of the national population-- to market citizenship, providing services that target at-risk communities at a distance through short-term, project-oriented partnerships. In the midst of these changing citizenship regimes, I examine the different ways in which Indigenous groups have been able to make claims for self-determined sports and recreation infrastructure based on specific understandings of nationhood and belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How are we to understand the presence of a large and growing archive on ‘postcolonial running’ and the fact that there is so little discussion of sport and imperialism by those of us who work in postcolonial/African literatures? Much of this may be attributed to the disciplinary chasm between literary studies and sport studies. The critical work that emerges from this running archive needs to read the ways in which imperial plunder and philanthropy re-emerge in postcolonial running. This paper initiates a much-needed conversation between African literary studies, cultural studies, and sport studies, and it engages in a ‘reading’ (a key practice in literary studies) of ‘running’ (mostly under the purview of sport studies) in a film,Running the Sahara(2007), and a memoir,Running with the Kenyans(2012). It reads the two cultural documents’ participation in the growth of running tourism in Africa and the corresponding competition between white and black male athletes – tropes that may be traced back to nineteenth-century British imperialism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An introduction is presented which discusses the issue's focus on sports and society.

An introduction is presented in which the editor offers insight on history of sports and its cultures and political and capitalist network, discussing topics within the issue including East German football history, Argentine sportswriters' portrayal of Brazilian soccer players and women participation in sports.

El artículo divulga sobre inversiones chinas en negocio del balompié. Los temas tratados incluyen la política estatal del Presidente Xi Jinping de invertir en grandes equipos europeos y reformas del torneo local de fútbol; Objetivo chino de convertirse en una potencia mundial en el deporte; y China mejorando la infraestructura deportiva y construyendo 20.000 centros de capacitación.

This article starts from the assumption that the European Union (EU) could play a leading part in reducing the negative environmental impacts of sport. The extent to which the EU fulfills its potential in this regard depends upon the integration of environmental objectives in EU sports policy. The article has a dual purpose. First, it analyzes the integration of environmental objectives at the different stages of the policy process. Second, it identifies the main barriers to the integration of environmental protection and explores the way forward. It is shown that establishing an Expert Group focusing solely on mitigating the environmental impact of sport is a suitable strategy for integrating environmental considerations at the heart of the decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will analyse the state aid rules and policies, regarding both domestic and foreign aid, addressed to the sectors of the Polish economy after the country's accession to the EU. This includes support for investors - both domestic and foreign, but in the second case, especially foreign direct investment (FDI). For this purpose, the following will be argued: tools as government grant, foreign financial aid (foreign aid may also have a material form) and other forms of support by the government on the example of the sector of renewable energy sources (RES). This will be done mainly on the basis of materials available from government institutions, especially the Ministry of Economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. This paper is based on a study that was initiated to better understand the dynamics of the grassroots sport landscape and establish a framework for effective governance practice in this important area of sport policy and management. Researchers had previously identified the value of exploring good governance specific to the nonprofit sector and in particular the unique features of informal sports organisations and small community clubs. The research methodology blended a meta-analysis of relevant literature to identify key principles followed by primary data collection to evaluate and validate the emerging framework. The results of the study provided a typology of the sport governance landscape and clear evidence of the need to develop a framework for effective governance appropriate to the needs of grassroots sports organisations. Furthermore, it supported the construction of a flexible and dynamic self-regulatory instrument - known as SATSport- that organisations might consider for measuring and illustrating commitment to good governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 1945 to 1947, and then again from 1953 to 1977, Jean Minjoz served as mayor of Besançon and set up a 'system' of government that allowed him to maintain power while insuring the development of the city. What was that system and how did it develop? By examining the sports politics of the city, this article reveals how the municipal sports commission and the city council worked out a subtle balance between amateur sports and the promotion of professional soccer. The political, professional, and athletic implications of this approach led representatives of the big clubs as well as the local councillors to support a basic minimum level of sports infrastructure, which in turn enabled the mayor to realize his own agenda for the city's social development program and to assure him the vote of his electorate. This politics of compromise can be categorized as republican elitist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the salience, engagement and influence of selected stakeholders in two key sport policy initiatives in Taiwan during the Covid-19 pandemic. The paper identifies three principal dimensions in the stakeholder literature which relate to, the uses of stakeholder theory; sources of nature and level of stakeholder influence; and perspectives on the nature of stakeholder decision-making; and it seeks to evaluate the contribution of these three principal dimensions of stakeholder theory to the explanation of stakeholder resources, interests, and behaviour in the policy/management scenarios identified. In terms of methodology the study is founded on the ontological and epistemological assumptions of critical realism. In terms of method, the analysis of stakeholder interests, activities and impacts is undertaken through a thematic analysis of documents, and interviews with leading figures in government and sport in Taiwan (n = 11), in relation to the two policy initiatives highlighted. The paper explores the outcomes of stakeholder interaction in the two scenarios, and evaluates the contribution to our understanding of these outcomes, providing a useful test of the extent to which the cases in the two scenarios respectively depart from, or conform to, the outcomes anticipated in the ideal typical accounts of stakeholder interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jeff Kurtz offers a substantive response to my essay, "Sport and the Quest for Unity." Although he takes seriously my claims that "unity" is too often used within sports as a rhetorical means for eliding important cultural, political, and social differences, he also responds by suggesting that I tacitly endorse claims to unity when made on behalf of social justice causes. Moreover, he contends that the unity modeled by social justice advocates is "suffocating" and thus stifles legitimate differences among and between those who would seek political change. I reply in this essay by clarifying what I think is a misreading of my original argument. More importantly, I point to potential consequences of Kurtz's argument, which I maintain over-reads the degree to which unity has been performed and implies a false equivalency between institutional forms of power and those making the case of justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details the political and legal contestations that shaped the status and development of professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in Canada from the sport's high-profile and highly contested arrival in 1996, to its legalization across the country after 2013. The transformation of MMA from criminal activity to sporting spectacle in this short period of about 15 years was due, in part, to contextual and political factors centred on indigenous political contestation in themselves not related to the sport; and in part to political debates that focused on the activity's popular acceptability, augmented by a lobbying campaign devised by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) the sport's pre-eminent promotion company, in the province of Ontario. As a result of these contestations, legal constraints formulated at both the federal and provincial levels had been rescinded by 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a documentary corpus composed of journalistic sources, this research analyzed the role of sports in anti-communist propaganda in Brazil, with a focus on Brazil's achievements in the 1959 and 1963 men's world basketball championships, in the context of the Cold War. The study concludes that symbolic sports disputes disallow a dualistic explanation of the relationship between communist and anti-communist groups, since the relevant sports tournaments were represented differently in the press, reflecting distinct political positions within the Brazilian context prior to the 1964 coup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Cuba's revolution in 1959, the country has found itself among the Olympic medal world leaders in terms of medals won against population size. Given the growing importance of the relationship between politics, major sporting events, and the media, this research uses predominantly qualitative methodology to analyze Cuban newspaper Granma's coverage of the sporting successes of Cuba between the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics. The longitudinal study of this 40-year period reveals that, in addition to its extensive coverage of the island's 'star' sports – baseball, boxing, athletics, and volleyball – the news publication has systematically and effectively used sporting achievements as a way of putting the country on the map and lending it political legitimacy, both locally and worldwide. The epic language that has dominated Granma's narrative has served to extol the successes of government policies, making the country a guiding light for the whole of Latin America. Thanks to the constant presence of winning athletes, who have filled the pages with their highly politically charged and emotive declarations, the narrative adopted by the publication has also acted as the mouthpiece for the key values and ideas of the revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the increased attention match-fixing has received from both academia and policymakers in recent years, its complexity and the consequent inability to identify a one-fits-all description of the phenomenon have been underlined, highlighting that we have yet to fully capture the various forms of its manifestation in modern day sport. At the same time, and despite academic endeavours, the scholarly work on policy responses against match-fixing is remarkably scarce. In addressing these gaps, this study aims to examine two high-profile match-fixing cases in Greece and Turkey, the 'Koriopolis' and the 'Şike Davası' scandals, respectively, while considering the policy responses of UEFA, through the analysis of its normative framework and the way in which it was implemented in the two cases. This comparative study offers details of the social organisation of the two scandals, highlighting the various actors, structures and processes within them, as well as the UEFA policy responses they were met with. What is underlined through the study is not only the key role of individuals embedded in the football ecosystem but also the potentially adverse effects of adopting the 'organised crime' narrative in both official and media accounts, preventing us from truly capturing the phenomenon and policymakers from responding to it. Simultaneously, this study highlights that despite its existing detailed and thorough normative framework, UEFA's inconsistency in its implementation in the two cases sends a mixed message about tolerating match-fixing, while inviting much needed further research on the matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investments in elite sport and major sporting events are often justified in sport policy by various rationales, one of which is a 'trickle-down' effect whereby successful athletes have a positive impact on general sport participation rates. This effect is likely to be greater when hosting events, as home advantage can contribute to sporting success. The purpose of this research is to explore the possibility of a trickle-down effect on sports club membership in the United Kingdom in the context of the 2012 London Olympic Games. Secondary data were collected on sports club membership levels in 33 sports, over a ten-year period, from 2007–2016 (n = 330). Sporting success was measured by the number of gold medals won in international competitions, the number of major sport events hosted in the UK, and the results of the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award (SPOTY). The outcomes of a dynamic panel regression analysis show a causal relationship between the trickle-down effect and sports club membership over a four-year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inter-organisational relationships between governmental stakeholders are critically important in the implementation of elite sport policies. However, these relationships are often compounded by varying challenges, which can cause a stagnation of elite sport policies and its systems. This study evaluated the perceptions of the inter-organisational partnership between provincial and national governmental sport stakeholders in South Africa. Data were collected by juxtaposing two theoretical frameworks namely; the resource dependency theory and the inter-organisational theory in a qualitative study. Data were analysed by means of thematic analysis to apply inductive and deductive reasoning. The major results depicted a lack in clarity regarding the stakeholder roles and responsibilities, too many entities are involved in (elite) sport, and the lack of funding introduced power dynamics and inter-dependencies. The findings illustrated that problematic inter-organisational relationships can affect the effectiveness of elite sport policies. These results can be considered by policymakers when elite sport policies are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a consequence of the growing awareness of the limitations of an over-reliance on the deployment of hard power, governments have shown an increasing willingness to add soft power strategies to their portfolio of diplomatic resources with sport emerging as a major element. The aim of this study is to analyse the utilisation of sport as a part of soft power strategies in South Korea and how the strategies developed over the period from the late 1970s to 2017. The research adopted a qualitative case study research design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and the analysis of relevant, but mainly governmental, documentary sources. Among the key findings of the research were that: a) the use of sport soft power for diplomatic purposes by the South Korean government was a development of the use of sport in connection with domestic political objectives; b) the range and sophistication of sport soft power initiatives increased steadily over the 40 year period; c) the deployment of sport soft power was strongly influenced by South Korea's regional geopolitical environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This critical commentary contends that there needs to be a re-orientation of approaches to understanding policy design and implementation in high-performance sport. The existing approach to understanding policy making breaks the sport system into constituent agencies with a focus on the investment targeted towards specific organisations or programmes of activity. Governing agencies are discussed in reified terms, as if the organisations themselves were the actors and this paper will argue that this is a fundamentally problematic simplification. When the networks of interdependent people who work within, on and for governing organisations are neglected by [or worse, erased from] discourse and research, academic recommendations and policy design will forever be limited in effectiveness. Here lies the opportunity, by looking through a sociological relational lens, strategists within funding agencies stand to make a radical shift in leadership and professional practice. The work of social theorist Norbert Elias', in particular his notion of the figuration and associated 'Game Models', are herein used as a conceptual framework to demonstrate an alternative perspective to policy making in UK high-performance sport. The intent of the paper is not to hold up Elias' as a 'right' way of approaching this work, but rather to spark conversation and to open the door for a broader sociological imagination and discussion of sport policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an increasing amount of diplomatic archival material being declassified, scholars are now finding not only more instances of governments, and especially diplomats, involved in sport matters, but also different ways in which sport and politics have been intertwined historically. The past two decades have thus seen what can be called a diplomatic turn in sport history. This type of research has led to the development of a new strand of sport and politics research encompassing the diplomatic use of sport, through sport diplomacy and sport-as-diplomacy. Through mutual coordination, sporting representatives and government diplomats shared valuable information with each other so that sport could serve diplomatic ends, and for diplomats to support sporting endeavours. While the relationships between government members and sport organizations have traditionally been considered in terms of national sport politics, their reach goes far beyond a domestic audience, as demonstrated by several examples during the Cold War, often involving Germany. Bringing together files from sport organizations and their representatives with foreign ministry and government records provides new insight into not only international sport and diplomacy during the decades of the Cold War but also how their practitioners engaged with and influenced one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Questions: Discrimination remains a sore point for women in Turkish sports. This has subsequently hindered women from participating or building thriving careers in sports in Turkey. Many women are discouraged from taking part in professional sports due to the perceptions existing around such activities. Therefore, the Turkish female sports sector is growing at a very sluggish pace. The present study evaluates Turkish women's roles regarding connections between sports and politics to revolutionize the country. This assessment is vital to understand the barriers to Turkish women's sports participation and what can be done to encourage more women to invest in professional sports. Research Methods: The present study provides an in-depth view of the limiting factors hindering women from developing thriving professional Turkish sports careers. The research utilizes a semi-structured questionnaire to establish data from about 162 female participants (amateur and professional sportswomen) in different cities across the country. Results and Findings: The present study highlights that unequal salaries, unavailability of sports facilities for women, media misrepresentation, and pressures from the family, are some of the factors limiting the participation of females in Turkish sports. Inferences: The study provides insights on the vitality of sports programs and physical activities, everyone, including females. The study further emphasizes the need to create enabling environments that will foster female participation in Turkey's sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambassadors on the Sports Front: Sports, Politics and Diplomacy during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) This article examines the role of sports in the international politics and diplomacy of nation states in wartime. Through a case study on public diplomacy during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), this article shows how sport could influence international public opinion. By focussing on some lesser-known international sporting events from this period, such as the 1937 Labour Olympiad in Antwerp, this article will move away from the dominant focus in sports history on mega-events such as the Olympic Games. Although research about the relationship between sports and diplomacy has grown in recent years, it has barely taken into account the influence of a war context on sport and diplomacy. This article attempts to fill this gap by analysing left-wing Belgian and Spanish newspapers, archives of the Belgian workers' sports movement, and unused source material from the FIFA archive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]