Sport Diplomacy

Today the role of sports and physical activities are going beyond an exercise or a kind of entertainment, and has various health, social, cultural, economic, and most importantly political and international functions. The widely spread around the world; sport has become as an international instrument in international relations. The internationalization of some kind of sports has led many countries to see international sports competition as a field to advance their national interests and political goals. In this context, the concept of sports diplomacy beside other types of diplomacy has emerged. This paper investigates the role of sports in particular, major international sporting events in advancing countrie's diplomatic goals.