International Competition Research Articles

Сучасні аспекти формування збірних команд у баскетболі

The main factor in the development of team game sports, including basketball, is the presence of globalization, professionalization and commercialization processes, which significantly affects the performance of national teams in the most important international starts. Changes in the system of competitive basketball activities have led to a significant expansion of the system of international competitions, which requires from coaches a reasonable approach to the formation of national teams as a basis for successful performance in the Games of the Olympics and World Championships. Material and Methods. The study analyzed the competitive performance of 21 men's and 19 women's national basketball teams that participated in the Olympic Games and World Championships from 1936 to 2020. In order to determine the peculiarities of the formation of national teams in basketball, we analyzed the data of 264 players (men and women) who became medalists of the Olympic Games in the period from 1976 to 2024. Results. The results of the study indicate that the main leaders in modern basketball are the USA men's and women's national teams with the highest percentage of winning medals in the Olympics (31.7% and 30.5%) and World Championships (21.0% and 24.6%). The main focus of the formation of the USA national teams for participation in the Olympic Games coaches - the availability of experience in international competitions (the number of Olympic cycles that the athlete spent as a member of the national team) and the age of athletes. Based on the performance of the men's and women's teams, a trend of increasing number of athletes over the age of 32 is identified, where the maximum value for men (5 players) is observed in 2024 and for women (4) in 2016. Conclusions. The analysis of basketball development shows that the use of modern international experience in the rational formation of national teams allowed to establish that the integral component is the age of players, professional experience of participation in international competitions as part of the national team, as well as the universalization of player training. At this stage of basketball development, there is a tendency to increase the age of female athletes who are members of national teams, which provides an effective rotation over several Olympic cycles

Міграція в спортивній боротьбі: аналіз виступів на Олімпійських Іграх 2024 в Парижі

Purpose: to analyze the achievements of migrant wrestlers at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Material and methods.The following methods are used in the research: analysis of scientific and methodical sources, analysis of the results of sportsmen's performances and methods of mathematical statistics. The study was conducted to analyze the number of migrant athletes, their results in competitions, as well as age and weight characteristics in each style of wrestling (women's wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling). The data is taken from the official website «United World of Wrestling» (https://unitedworldwrestling.org). The percentage of migrants, their average age, weight categories and places they occupied were analyzed, with further processing of statistical indicators to identify patterns in their performance. Results: the results of the study showed that 34 migrant athletes participated in the 2024 Olympic Games, with the largest number (24,0 %) observed in freestyle wrestling, while the figure was the lowest in women's wrestling at 2,1 %. The analysis also found that migrant athletes have an average age of 29,5 years, indicating their experience.Almost a third of them won prizes, in particular, 8,8 % became winners, and 29,4 % won prizes. Despite the high achievements, 35,3 % of the athletes ranked 10 and below, which indicates a wide variety of results among migrants. A comparison with previous studies confirmed the tendency of athletes to change their citizenship after the peak of their career. Migrant athletes aged 24-27 make up the largest group, indicating their strategy to achieve international success after achieving the best results in their careers. Conclusions. Migrant athletes participating in the 2024 Olympic Games showed a high level of results, especially in freestyle wrestling. Their participation and success confirm that changing citizenship is an important strategy for further achievements in international competitions, especially after the peak period of a sports career.

Export-Led Industrial Policy for Developing Countries: Is There a Way to Pick Winners?

Industrial policy prioritizes growth in specific sectors. Yet there is little agreement about how to target sectors in practice, and many argue that governments cannot pick winners. This essay observes that governments can and do identify tradable sectors where public inputs accelerate growth and generate economic benefits. These strategic sectors are: (1) those that are relatively more productive, and (2) those that are relatively less productive but require technology like the country’s existing technology and have rapidly growing markets and limited international competition. Since developing countries are productive in fewer sectors and have less technology, targeting can be more valuable for them. Export promotion agencies are institutions that have demonstrated effectiveness in coordinating public inputs to grow these sectors. Compared to protectionism, this alternative approach to ‘industrial policy’ is cheaper, less susceptible to capture by unproductive firms, and permissible under the rules of international trade agreements. Many countries’ development strategies adopt this approach.

The Game Theory of Football Penalty Kicks

Abstract. Soccer is the world's number one sport, known for its fierce rivalries and full of surprises. Especially in important international competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships, matches are often about national honor and the expectations of millions of fans. Penalty kicks are a common punishment in soccer, where the goalkeeper and the shooter are pitted against each other in a one-on-one confrontation. Penalty kicks, because of their simplicity of confrontation, have a breath-taking tension and excitement, and most of the victory depends on the decision-making confrontation between the shooter and the goalkeeper. Game theory is an important tool for studying how participants make decisions to maximize their own gains in situations of conflict and competition. In order to study how the goalkeeper saves most effectively, this paper analyzes the penalty shot from the perspective of game theory, and obtains the optimal solution for the goalkeeper's save direction in a simplified situation by calculating the Nash equilibrium under mixed strategies.

Effects of mindfulness intervention on competition state anxiety in sprinters—a randomized controlled trial

ObjectivesWith the rapid growth of China’s sprint program’s international competitiveness, the psychological problems of sprinters have become a common concern in sports training theory and practice. Hence, the study examined the impact of a 7-week Mindfulness training program on competition state anxiety in Chinese sprinters.MethodsTwenty-four sprinters (Mage = 22.46 ± 1.351) were selected in a 2 × 3 mixed design, with the group (mindfulness/control) as the between-subjects variable and test time (pre-test/mid-test/post-test) as the within-subjects variable. The dependent variables corresponded to the mindfulness score and competition state anxiety score. One 60-min session was conducted once a week for 7 weeks, and the control group did not undergo any psychological training. The mindfulness group received mindfulness training, and the control group received regular psychological guidance. The subjects filled in the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the Competition State Anxiety Scale at baseline, followed by additional assessments 3 weeks and 7 weeks later.Results(1) In terms of competition state anxiety, there were no significant differences in the pre-test between the mindfulness group and the control group. There were significant differences in sprinters’ competition state anxiety after mindfulness intervention in terms of time, group, and the interaction between time and groups (p = 0.03, 0.004, and 0.009). (2) In terms of the mindfulness level, the difference between the mindfulness group and the control group was not significant in the pre-test. The sprinters’ mindfulness level was significant in the interaction between groups and that between groups and time after mindfulness intervention (p = 0.027 and 0.028).ConclusionMindfulness training alleviated sprinters’ competition anxiety by reducing sprinters’ somatic state anxiety (SSA) and cognitive state anxiety (CSA), as well as improving state self-efficacy. The results provide guidance and references for Chinese sprinters’ psychological problems.

Comparison of the Competitiveness for Danish, Dutch, and German Piglet Producers under Consideration of Country-Specific Methods of Piglet Castration with Anesthesia

Pig producers in Europe adopt different production methods for male pig fattening. More than half of the animals are surgically castrated. The different interpretations of animal welfare in different countries lead to market differentiation and economically different production conditions, which do not restrict trade, but economically lead to drastic competitive changes for local producers. While the Netherlands has already implemented surgical castration for the export market, using CO2 narcosis (NL), Denmark and Germany are each introducing their strategies with local anesthesia (DK) and isoflurane anesthesia (DE), respectively. Using typical pig farms from the agri benchmark Pig Network, the additional costs and economic impacts of animal welfare regulations are calculated. In Germany, isoflurane anesthesia increases costs by EUR 28.54 to EUR 49.86 per sow, or EUR 1.93 to EUR 3.81 per male piglet. This corresponds to a cost increase of around 5% per piglet. In Denmark, the costs of local anesthesia with procaine increase more moderately by EUR 3.55 to EUR 5.05 per sow, or around EUR 0.30 per male piglet. The cost increase here is less than 1% per piglet. The additional costs are leading to a loss of competitiveness for Denmark and Germany compared to the Netherlands. However, Germany is also losing profit significantly compared to Denmark. This study highlights that animal welfare regulations can negatively impact the competitiveness of the pig sector. It emphasizes the need for countries to implement such regulations carefully, ensuring that they do not lead to the loss of production or international competitiveness. A balanced approach that supports both animal welfare and economic sustainability is essential.

Guangdong’s New R&D Institutes

In pursuit of technological development, China has created new organizations to promote innovation. This brief examines New Research and Development Institutes (NRDIs), which are designed to foster knowledge transfer to industry. NRDIs were pioneered in Guangdong province in the 1990s, and have gained prominence in China’s national science, technology, and innovation policies since the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016–2020). NRDIs are defined by their market orientation and extremely flexible organizational form. They work by establishing “innovation platforms” with local governments and private knowledge actors to carry out research and development (R&D), commercialize scientific and technological achievements, incubate local technology industries, and cultivate high-end talent. NRDIs have been instrumental to regional development in Guangdong, and especially Shenzhen, where they have succeeded in attracting talent from outside the region. NRDIs have important policy implications for international competition for talent. Understanding NRDIs is crucial for other countries that want to improve their own inter-regional innovation resources and respond to the challenge of China’s drive to attract global talent and knowledge resources.

Status, Challenges and Prospects of Policies Related to the Green Economy

Amidst the backdrop of globalization, the international community has increasingly focused on green economy policies, recognizing them as crucial instruments for advancing sustainable development. With the green and low-carbon transformation of the global industrial chain supply chain, the green economy and trade have become an important symbol for measuring the trade competitiveness of a country or region. Green economy policies are not only related to the process of global environmental governance but also have a direct impact on the green transformation of countries’ economic landscapes and the reshaping of international competitiveness. Amid escalating environmental challenges, the concern over leveraging green economic policies to foster harmonious economic and environmental development has emerged as a significant matter for governmental and international entities. This paper will focus on analyzing the relevant theories of the green economy, the status of its development, and the challenges it is currently facing. By analyzing the different cases of developed and developing countries in promoting the development of a green economy, we will take an in-depth look at the bottlenecks in the development of a green economy and the prospects for its future development, and reveal the specific challenges faced by different countries, as well as the innovative strategies they have adopted in promoting environmental sustainability and economic growth.

Understanding following patterns among high-performance athletes

Abstract Professional sport enhances social interaction among athletes through meetings such as training groups, large-scale competitions and sponsored events. Among these, the Olympic Games represent the largest international competition, having a unique global impact. This event is assumed to promote international cooperation through the values of sport, becoming an opportunity for creating global connections between athletes. Here we want to understand the properties of the following activity, an indicator of the information flows, between highly successful Olympic athletes both at microscopic and macroscopic scales. To do so, we built a database including the Twitter usernames of Olympic medallists in Tokyo 2020, using it for creating the follower-followee network, a directed network representing who followed whom in this social network. From our database of 1052 athletes, we found 7326 connections among 964 athletes. The most popular athletes, those with highest number of followers, were Kevin Durant (basketball, USA), Allyson Felix (athletics, USA), Teddy Riner (judo, France), Alex Morgan (football, USA) and Simone Biles (gymnastics, USA). The macro-scale network structure displayed organized patterns related to microscopic—node—properties such as sex, country and sport, evidencing assortative connectivity patterns. These assortative patterns highlighted the need for a model quantifying the features’ importance in the followees choice, which we introduced through a gravity approach modelling the number of connections between homogeneous groups. Our research remarks the importance of datasets built from public exposure of professional athletes, serving as a proxy to investigate interesting aspects of many complex socio-cultural systems at different scales.

Skill Sets for the Hospitality Sectors: A Review

This article reviews the key skills required in the hotel industry, analyzing the importance of soft skills, technical skills, management, and leadership abilities. It also discusses the critical nature of cross-cultural competencies and language skills against the backdrop of globalization. The article emphasizes the foundational role of soft skills such as service attitude, communication, teamwork, and customer service. It points out the crucial role of technical skills like foreign language proficiency, information technology, and professional knowledge in enhancing service efficiency and market competitiveness. Management and leadership abilities, including organization, time management, and decision-making, are vital for the operational efficiency of hotels. Furthermore, the ability to engage in cross-cultural communication is essential for improving international competitiveness and customer experience. In the future, the demand for skills in the hospitality industry will be more diverse, and digital technology, multilingual competence and cross-cultural communication, the spirit of innovation and new training methods will bring greater challenges to practitioners in the hospitality industry.

Analysis of the Competitiveness of Digital Service Trade Between China and RCEP Partner Countries

Abstract: Based on the digital service trade data from China and RCEP partner countries from 2008 to 2022, this study analyzes the current status of digital service trade, including export scale, structure, and policies. It calculates the international market share and trade competitiveness index, and provides an in-depth analysis of the overall competitiveness of digital service trade and the competitiveness levels by industry within RCEP countries. The study finds that while the international competitiveness of digital service trade between China and RCEP partner countries is relatively weak, the development speed is relatively fast. In response, China should increase efforts in digital infrastructure construction with RCEP partners, promote digital technology research and innovation; enhance digital security and privacy protection, and improve relevant laws and policies; reduce barriers to digital service trade, and increase the influence in formulating digital trade rules; strengthen political mutual trust among RCEP countries, and deepen cooperation in digital service trade.

The importance of competitive potential in building the international competitiveness of food industry companies: Evidence from Poland.

The economic and social changes taking place in the environment mean that the conditions in which enterprises operate and compete are changing and demanding. This also applies to food industry enterprises, the economic importance is emphasized by many economists. The literature on this subject lacks research on the current factors influencing the competitiveness of food industry enterprises. Thus, the aim of the study was to adopt a multidimensional assessment of the importance of selected components of competitive potential in building the international competitiveness of food industry enterprises. The following research hypothesis was adopted: the key components of the competitive potential of food industry enterprises are intangible. To achieve the main goal and verify the research hypothesis, the empirical study uses information collected using a CATI survey among representatives of food industry enterprises in Poland. The analysis used descriptive statistics, the Mann‒Whitney test, the Kruskal‒Wallis test and exploratory factor analysis, which are rarely used in research on competitiveness. Research has shown that the most important component of competitiveness is intangible assets. The punctuality of deliveries, product quality, company image and relations with suppliers and recipients play special roles. According to factor analysis, four general factors related to competitive potential were distinguished: internal competences and activities, material resources, marketing and clusters, and the market. The results of the study fill a knowledge gap related to the current competitiveness factors of food companies. On a practical level, identifying competitive potential helps improve the ability to compete, better adapt to the environment and gain a sustainable competitive advantage in international markets.

Dynamic interactions among exchange rate, natural gas demand, production in manufacturing and battery industry export – evidence from Hungary

In the context of the current global economic transformation, the rapid rise of the electric vehicle industry has made the battery industry a new focus of competition among countries. Despite its relatively small economic and demographic size, Hungary has garnered significant academic interest by emerging as the world’s third-largest battery producer in 2021. The study employed a dynamic vector autoregressive (VAR) model to determine that fluctuations in the Hungarian exchange rate have a notable immediate influ-ence on exports in the battery business，which suggests that changes in exc-hange rates directly affect international competitiveness. The battery sector is experiencing a progressive increase in the influence of fluctuations in na-tural gas demand, particularly in terms of their impact on production costs and supply chains. The battery industry has had substantial advancements in technological innovation and production efficiency as a direct result of the expansion in manufacturing production. And Hungary’s total industrial deve-lopment is significantly influenced by the long-term effects of export expan-sion in the battery industry. JEL Codes: L62, E44, O14, C22

The Challenge of the Transition to Renewable Energies: A Geopolitical Approach in the Light of the International Competition for Rare Earth Elements

The Challenge of the Transition to Renewable Energies: A Geopolitical Approach in the Light of the International Competition for Rare Earth Elements

Digital Open Library Development : A Real Path Towards Sustainable Math Education

After the globally atypical year of 2020, distance cooperation and experimentation with virtual and blended learning opportunities are becoming a standard in all educational levels. Digital teaching/learning materials are at the forefront of this movement, presenting many advantages, since these can be innovative, engaging, interactive, and can even be tailored to meet the students’ and teachers’ needs. In this context, Open Educational Resources (OER) are a powerful concept for sharing the world's resources for the common good, reflecting the international commitment to Education For All (EFA). In the past few years, the development of OER has grown exponentially, however, several are quite “closed” and few have the necessary scientific and pedagogical quality certification as real “educational” resources, particularly in the Mathematics area. This was the main idea behind an Erasmus + Project, that brought together six Higher Education Institutions (HEI) from five European countries. This project, still in development, has emerged from a practical need for hybrid and remote teaching and learning open support. Its main goal is developing an Open Digital Library of Mathematics OER in seven distinct languages, encouraging its open dissemination and use, building a truly sustainable Math education promotor. An overview of the project and its main objectives will be presented, as well as its several operational and progress challenges as well as the results that have been accomplished thus far. This project entails several distinct but complementary features that started with the construction of an OER assessment model, culminating with the development of a multilingual OER bank and its continuous sustainability. This can only be achieved with the future establishment of an OER developer’s community among Math teachers and students from several education levels, that will be engaged in other project programmed activities, as Teachers’ Trainings, Users’ International Challenge and Students’ International Competition. This Project progress and success is largely based on the interaction, input and participation of all stakeholder groups.

Role of AI-Driven Personalized E-Learning In Enhancing Economic Competitiveness: A Comparative Analysis of Developed And Developing Countries

This study explores the influence of AI-driven personalized e-learning on the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) across six countries, comprising three developed (USA, Germany, Japan) and three developing (Pakistan, India and Nigeria) nations, over a span of 17 years (2007-2023). Utilizing a least squares regression model, the analysis incorporates key variables including the Artificial Intelligence Global Index (AIGI), Human Development Index (HDI), and R&D expenditure as control variables to assess their impact on GCI. The model demonstrates a robust fit, with an R2 value of 96.79% and an adjusted R2 value of 96.50%, indicating that AI-enhanced e-learning is a significant predictor as independent variables of economic competitiveness GCI. The findings underscore the significant role of investment in AI and e-learning technologies, particularly in enhancing economic competitiveness, as evidenced by strong positive correlations between GCI and AIGI, HDI, and R&D expenditure. The results are consistent with IBM's research, which highlights the importance of these variables in driving national competitiveness in the global market. The study concludes that AI-driven personalized e-learning is a critical lever for improving GCI, particularly for developing countries aiming to close the competitiveness gap with developed nations. The implications of this research suggest that targeted investments in AI and e-learning can substantially contribute to sustainable economic growth and international competitiveness. This study offers valuable insights for policymakers and educational institutions aiming to enhance their nation's competitiveness through strategic investments in AI-driven educational technologies.

Construction of a Multi-Level Strategic System for Cultivating Cultural Industry Management Talents in Colleges and Universities

Through SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) and PEST (political, economic, social, and technological) analysis, this study discusses the construction of a multi-level strategic system for the cultivation of cultural industry management talents in colleges and universities. First of all, based on SWOT analysis, it is found that colleges and universities have rich educational resources and policy support, but they face challenges such as insufficient practical teaching and intensified international competition. External opportunities come from the rapid development of the cultivation of cultural industry management talents and policy promotion, while threats come from global market competition and talent flow. Secondly, PEST analysis reveals the key factors in the macro-environment: at the political level, the state vigorously supports the cultivation of cultural industry management talents; at the economic level, the market demand for cultural industries is strong; at the social level, the public cultural consumption is upgraded; at the technological level, digital transformation promotes industry innovation. On this basis, this paper puts forward a multi-level strategic system covering theoretical education, practical skill improvement, interdisciplinary integration, and international vision training. The system aims to solve the problems existing in talent training in colleges and universities and cultivate high-quality cultural industry management talents with theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and global vision, so as to adapt to the increasingly complex and diversified cultural industry management talents market demand and promote the long-term development of the industry.

The Influence Mechanism of Cultural Fit on the Image of Time-Honored Brands: Based on the Perspective of Brand Extension

ABSTRACT International competition and the continual emergence of new brands pose significant challenges to time-honored brands, prompting many of these established brands to adopt brand extension strategies as a means of reshaping and revitalizing their brand image. Based on the theory of brand legitimacy, this study constructs a research model of cultural fit – brand legitimacy – brand image and proposes pop culture involvement as a moderating variable. Two Chinese time-honored brands in the pharmaceutical industry, Tongrentang and Pientzehuang, were selected as the experiment scenarios. The study finds that: in the process of brand extension, cultural fit plays a positive role in influencing the brand image of the time-honored brands; brand legitimacy plays a mediation role between cultural fit and brand image; pop culture involvement plays a negative moderating role between cultural fit and brand legitimacy. Applications have also been mentioned in the study.

Structure Analysis and Forecast of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Exports to Australia Under the Perspective of Product Segmentation

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as a precious treasure of China has played an indispensable role in combating the COVID-19 epidemic, and receiving widespread attention and high regard. The Chinese pharmaceutical industry is gradually on the Road of Revival. However, there are still many bottlenecks restricting internationalization of TCM. How to specifically expand the international market, optimize product structure, and enhance the competitiveness of TCM exports are key and difficult issues. In light of this, this article selects "Australia" as a typical region with a solid foundation for the development of TCM, and innovatively classifies TCM products into four major categories based on its market access policies. By applying STATA to construct an ARIMA model, this study analyzes and forecasts the total export volume of TCM to Australia, the export structure of each category, and the export value for the Q3 2024-Q2 2026 based on data from 2016 to Q2 2024. The results reveal that there is significant potential in the Australian market for the export of TCM. However, the export structure is heavily skewed towards primary products, with the growth rate of high-value-added products being relatively slow. Consequently, it is recommended to increase investment in the research and development of TCM, enhance consumer education to address cultural differences, promote the export of high-value-added products, strengthen the docking of international standards and export certification of products, reinforce brand building and bolster government guidance and talent cultivation to enhance the international competitiveness of the TCM.

ESTRATÉGIAS DE CONFORTO AMBIENTAL PARA QUADRAS FECHADAS VOLTADAS A ESPORTES DE ALTO RENDIMENTO

Sports architecture, with its particularities, is essential to optimize the efficiency of environments, considering the specific needs of each sport. This article addresses environmental comfort strategies applied to indoor courts intended for high-performance sports, highlighting the importance of an architecturally planned environment to ensure the well-being of athletes and optimize their performance. The study focuses on thermal, visual, acoustic and ergonomic aspects, and analyzes how each of these factors influences sports performance. In addition, it explores the interaction between the body and the physical environment, proposing solutions that favor the creation of functional and comfortable spaces for sports practice and competitive events. The research, of a bibliographic and exploratory nature, brings together concepts of environmental psychology and athletic performance, in addition to highlighting the construction strategies of ventilation, lighting and acoustic control that can be applied to indoor courts with the aim of promoting human well-being. The work proposes solutions so that sports centers offer adequate conditions for sports practice, supporting the creation of environments that favor both the satisfaction and the enhancement of the performance of athletes. From this study, it is possible to define the importance of the preparation and competition environment in the performance of high-performance athletes, and architecture, linked to environmental comfort, is shown to be a tool for the development of these spaces, essential for success in national and international sports competitions.