National recognition and power relations between states and sub-state governments in international sport

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article offers a theoretical reflection about how the power relations within the international political system configure national recognition in the context of sport. Theoretical developments of soft power are complemented with a neoclassical realist approach, due to the fact that countries shape their sports policies and estimate their potential scope and impact according to their relative capacities in the international scenario.The starting point is that states and sub-state governments pursue the same political goals in international sport: influencing international arena through diplomatic strategies, increasing patriotism and the nation´s international prestige through the organisation of sports mega-events, legitimising their – regional or national – governments through medals and victories, etc. However, only the states are initially legitimised to achieve such goals due to the sports statehood, meaning in this context that International Sports Federations and International Olympic Committee define the term country as an independent state recognised by the international community.Analysing the cases of China–Taiwan and Serbia–Kosovo, the conclusion is that without a consensus between the disputing parties, national recognition in international sport will not depend so much on the development of a soft power strategy, but on the relative capacities of countries to impose their political criterion in the United Nations, the International Olympic Committee and the International Sports Federations.