Politics of Grassroot Sports Diplomacy in National Cohesion

Abstract

The current international relations system is quite dynamic, forcing many state governments to turn to sports as the most efficient soft power tool. Sports is perceived as an integral element of national identity more so, for a country that internationally has a good reputation in sports. Values of sports diplomacy include competition, teamwork and fair play. This form of diplomacy has the potential to inform, engage and influence key actors, especially youth, emerging leaders and women and girls. However, sports, as a diplomatic tool has been always associated with mega-sport events, elite sports and professional athletes, neglecting sports at the grassroots level, where the organizations, interventions and stakeholders are considered irrelevant for state-led public diplomacy. Yet, grassroots sport-based interventions have the capability of strengthening people-to-people relations, hence contributing to national cohesion. By developing grassroots sports, the objective is to grow elite sports men and women who will eventually form teams that will compete favorably on the international arena. This paper hence discusses the politics of grassroots sports diplomacy towards national cohesion. It specifically addresses three objectives; First, it examines actors in grassroots sports diplomacy; Secondly, it Assesses tools used to promote grassroots sports and lastly it interrogates the discourse on grassroots sports diplomacy towards national cohesion. . A descriptive research design enabled primary and secondary data to be collected. The data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The paper concludes that grassroots sport diplomacy creates cooperative relations among citizens hence addressing the national unity crisis that most countries are faced with. Recommendations in relation to grassroots sports diplomacy as a tool for national cohesion have also been included.