Whether you’re watching the World Cup or cheering on your favorite club team in your study abroad city, international sports can provide a glimpse into local culture. But there’s more to these events than meets the eye: they can have a profound influence on the political, economic, and cultural aspects of countries around the world.
A multi-sport event like the Olympics, but open to athletes from all nations. This is the biggest multi-sport competition in the world.
The official competition for men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and mixed teams in the sport of tennis. The winner is crowned the world champion.
An international multi-sport competition that takes place every four years, excluding football (soccer) matches. Athletes compete in a range of Olympic disciplines, including athletics, archery, baseball softball, canoeing, cycling (road and track), fencing, golf, gymnastics (artistic, rhythmic, trampoline), handball, judo, rowing (standard and sprint distance), water polo, and volleyball.
International governing bodies for each sport discipline govern the sport at world level, supervise its practice and monitor day-to-day administration. These organisations, also known as International Sports Federations, must ensure their statutes and practices conform with the Olympic Charter.
As international travel becomes easier and more common, sport grows increasingly global. But, as Zohreh Abdollahkhani from the University of South-Eastern Norway explains, this doesn’t always mean good news for countries in the majority world. In some cases, corrupt governments use international sport to lure investors and free up competitors from visa red tape, while at the same time suffocating their own citizens through repressive policies.