Paul Michael Brannagan – författare

This Handbook provides a succinct overview of sport in the Middle East, drawing in scholars from a wide variety of geographical and disciplinary backgrounds (history, politics, sociology, economics and regional studies), with different methodological approaches, to create the ‘go-to’ text on the subject.After the introduction, 33 chapters from leading subject experts cover areas including history, politics, society, economy and nationhood. The authors help shed light on how certain Middle Eastern countries have become increasingly active in international sports, and the efforts made to positioning themselves as the new global ‘sports hubs’. Split into five sections, the book offers a multi-disciplinary analysis of a diverse range of sports across the geographic Middle East, including football, mixed martial arts, rugby, athletics and cycling. The authors highlight and respond to issues such as the naturalisation of athletes, female athleticism, sports media and supporter cultures.The Routledge Handbook of Sport in the Middle East stands apart from previous research through offering first-hand accounts of sport in the area from authors who live and work in the region or have a history of regularly visiting and conducting research in the region. It will be of interest to academics and students alike, in the fields of Middle East politics, sport, sport in the Middle East, international relations, governance and sociology.

Now in a fully revised, extended and updated new edition, this is the only book to offer a comparative overview of the development of elite sport systems around the world.The book examines sport policies and programmes in 20 developed and developing countries that have achieved international sporting success, including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Australia, and South Korea, helping the reader to understand the factors behind that success. For each country, it sets out the historical and political context in which elite sport has developed, before explaining the country-specific structures of elite sport and the investment that each country has made in elite sport development. The book also considers how countries have used the hosting of mega-events as sport policy tools, and how factors such as geo-politics, states’ governance and political ideology, and levels of economic development, all have influence on national sport policy.Introducing the foundational concepts and principles of elite sport policy and development, and showing how those policies shape global sport, this book is fascinating reading for all students, researchers, policymakers and practitioners working in sport development, sport policy, sport management, event management, public policy, and political science.

Now in a fully revised, extended and updated new edition, this is the only book to offer a comparative overview of the development of elite sport systems around the world.The book examines sport policies and programmes in 20 developed and developing countries that have achieved international sporting success, including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Australia, and South Korea, helping the reader to understand the factors behind that success. For each country, it sets out the historical and political context in which elite sport has developed, before explaining the country-specific structures of elite sport and the investment that each country has made in elite sport development. The book also considers how countries have used the hosting of mega-events as sport policy tools, and how factors such as geo-politics, states’ governance and political ideology, and levels of economic development, all have influence on national sport policy.Introducing the foundational concepts and principles of elite sport policy and development, and showing how those policies shape global sport, this book is fascinating reading for all students, researchers, policymakers and practitioners working in sport development, sport policy, sport management, event management, public policy, and political science.

This Handbook provides a succinct overview of sport in the Middle East, drawing in scholars from a wide variety of geographical and disciplinary backgrounds (history, politics, sociology, economics and regional studies), with different methodological approaches, to create the ‘go-to’ text on the subject.After the introduction, 33 chapters from leading subject experts cover areas including history, politics, society, economy and nationhood. The authors help shed light on how certain Middle Eastern countries have become increasingly active in international sports, and the efforts made to positioning themselves as the new global ‘sports hubs’. Split into five sections, the book offers a multi-disciplinary analysis of a diverse range of sports across the geographic Middle East, including football, mixed martial arts, rugby, athletics and cycling. The authors highlight and respond to issues such as the naturalisation of athletes, female athleticism, sports media and supporter cultures.The Routledge Handbook of Sport in the Middle East stands apart from previous research through offering first-hand accounts of sport in the area from authors who live and work in the region or have a history of regularly visiting and conducting research in the region. It will be of interest to academics and students alike, in the fields of Middle East politics, sport, sport in the Middle East, international relations, governance and sociology.

This is the first book to fully examine - in depth and breadth - the topic of sport as soft power. With nation states increasingly realising the potential of sport as a geopolitical tool, and with sporting organisations becoming increasingly visible and influential as political actors on the global stage, this book explores the international politics of sport and the geopolitical trends that are likely to shape international sport for decades to come. The book begins by defining ‘soft power’ and looking at how international relations theory can help us to better understand the geopolitical significance of sport. The book then takes a close look at how sport has been used as soft power around the world, offering detailed case studies of more than thirty countries, including the US, the UK, China, Russia, the Gulf states, Brazil, Australia, Turkey, and South Africa. A final section examines some important key themes and contemporary issues in the geopolitics of sport, including sportswashing, human rights, the power of transnational corporations, and gender in sporting mega-events. Representing an unparalleled resource on one of the most important issues in contemporary sport, this book is essential reading for anybody with an interest in the politics of sport, sport governance, sport development, event studies, international relations, diplomacy, or international organisations.

In doing so, this text offers up an imperative examination of Qatar’s desired objectives through their investment in global sport and sports events, as well as provides readers with an academic explanation on why major event hosts – such as Qatar – receive so much international scrutiny in the pre-event stage of the event hosting process.