Sport and international development

Over the last decade there has been an intensification of initiatives, and an increase in the number of organizations, that focus on sport-in-development.

This partly reflects the movement of sport up the global political agenda, as events such as the 2008 Olympics in Bejing, the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2012 European Football Championships in Eastern Europe, suggest the re-focusing of international sports events beyond the confines of developed states.This book presents a timely collection of theoretical debates and case-studies relevant to the advancement of sport-in-development as a pertinent area of research.

It investigates the capacity of sport to actboth as a conduit for traditional development assistance activitiesand as an agent for change in its own right.

The book argues that sport can contribute to the development process, particularly where traditional development approaches have difficulty in engaging with communities.

It contends that understanding the opportunities and limitations for sport-in-development contributesto an appreciation of the fundamental challenges currently facing the development community, and provides a useful analytical tool for those engaged in the development process.