Whether it’s cheering along with the crowd at your home team’s World Cup match, feeling the whine of Formula 1 engines in your chest, or watching a hockey goal in sudden death overtime, there is something special about international sports. International sporting events can bring together a wide variety of people from different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. They can be a powerful force for bringing communities together and supporting local businesses, all while helping to promote the values of a sport and its athletes.
Nevertheless, there is no escaping that international sport is often fraught with power imbalances: where you come from plays a major role in how far you can go in the game. This is a reality that can be seen in the history of international competition, dating back to the ancient Olympic Games in which city states would put aside their internal struggles to compete.
The modern Olympics continue to draw competitors from around the globe, though the event is structured in a way that delineates participation by cultural elements: language, as with the Francophone Games; ethnicity, as with the Maccabiah Games for Jewish athletes; and occupation (with the Universiade for university students). There are also events based on gender, such as the World Outgames for LGBT athletes.
International sports governing bodies, such as FIFA and the IOC, are responsible for setting the rules of their respective sports at the global level and disseminating them worldwide. They are also tasked with choosing which sports should be included in the Olympic Games and which should be excluded, with the latter grouped under the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations.