Sport Migration Research Articles

Navigating between mobility and immobility: precarious sporting trajectories of young Guinea-Bissauan footballers in Portugal

This paper addresses the issue of migratory mobilities in football, dwelling specifically on Guinea-Bissauan footballers’ migration to Portugal. In this respect, it tackles two concerns: Firstly, despite its increasingly significant prominence in international football, the sporting migration processes of footballers from Guinea-Bissau have remained strangely absent from analyses of West African sports migration. Secondly, to combine the logic of mobility in the transnational field of sport with the subjectivities and aspirations of sporting immigrants, and how these young people navigate the fine line between mobility and immobility. In most cases, football winds up being a vehicle for uncertain and risky trajectories. Subsequently, we highlight three categories of immobility that affect these players and the respective strategies to counteract them: stalled sporting careers, remigration, and subalternization.

Sports Migration: Ten Coaching Strategies for Retaining Athletic Talents in Developing Countries

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of elite athletes from developing countries migrating to more developed nations in search of better training facilities, coaching, and competition opportunities The purpose of this article is to provide 10 coaching strategies and suggestions for retaining athletic talents in developing countries.

Analysis of Factors of Sports Migration and the Effectiveness of Competitive Activity of Football Players

The purpose of the work: determine the ways of correcting the training process based on taking in to account the influence of sports migration factors on the training of highly qualified football players. Material and methods. To assess the impact of factors of sports migration on the effectiveness of competitive activity, the indicators of the competitive activity of football players of the national team of Ukraine in 16 official games during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons. Methods of research. Analysis, generalization and systematization of data from scientific and methodological literary sources and the “Internet”, pedagogical observations, content analysis of competition regulations (based on the materials of the official FIFA; UEFA; UAF sites), analysis of performance indicators of competitive activity; method of expert evaluations; methods of mathematical statistics. Results. The 2020-2021 season: in 62,5% of official games, higher indicators were recorded for football players of the first group (“migrants” and “naturalized” athletes), the range of indicators – from 58.33% to 77.50%. At the same time, statistically significant differences (25.00%) were recorded in 2 games. In one game, higher indicators were recorded for football players of the first group (“migrants” and “naturalized” athletes) and, in one game, higher indicators were recorded for football players of the second group (athletes who were born in Ukraine are national athletes of the UAF and participate in UPL competitions). The 2021-2022 season: in 62.5% of official games, higher indicators were recorded for football players of the first group (“migrants” and “naturalized” athletes), the range of indicators – from 50.01% to 74.16%. No statistically significant differences were recorded. The comparative effectiveness of football players of the first and second groups was 46.15% and 53.85%, respectively. Conclusion. This state of affairs indicates the need to correct the modern system of multi-year improvement of highly qualified football players based on the development and formation of technologies for the direct training of migrant athletes for official international competitions.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND MODERN INTERPRETATION OF THE FACTORS OF THE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE

Background and Study Aim. Today, professional sports are a powerful social phenomenon that is developing at a high rate both in terms of sports and in terms of business. It is natural that various factors influence this process throughout the history of its formation and development. Study Aim: to identify the key factors that influenced and influence the formation and development of professional sport in Europe and North America. Material and Methods. The main materials for the research were data from historical and modern materials regarding various factors that determined and determine now the peculiarities of professional sport development in Europe and North America. Methods: analysis and synthesis, historical method, systematic approach, theoretical interpretation and explanation. Results. Given the global phenomenon of professional sport in the modern world, it should be noted that its structure and effectiveness depend from a wide range of factors, both the external environment and those related to the construction of internal mechanisms of professional sports organizations. Among them: globalization, geopolitical and economic trends, transformation of information and communication technologies, crisis social factors, sports migration, population and demographic ratios in the country, monopoly and competition in the professional sports arena in relation to the coexistence of different organizations in one sport, the focus of professional leagues on higher efficiency. Among the factors that have a negative impact on the development of professional sport today should be noted corruption aspects of professional sports activities. Conclusions. The nature of the influence of these factors is determined by the territorial affiliation of professional sport organizations, as there are certain traditions and legal frameworks of their operation in the United States and various European countries, which have significant differences. At the same time, today the North American remains a more effective model of professional sport development in terms of organizational and economic efficiency.

‘You, me, we’: shared identities of African professional footballers’ diaspora in Thailand

ABSTRACT African footballers comprise a significant group of sport migrants, who face structural challenges set-forth by specific visa requirements which have made entry into Thailand more challenging. Using data collected through in-depth interviews with five African players who have lived, played, and settled down in Thailand for over a decade, the article explores the acculturation journeys of African football players in Thailand and investigates how forms of identities are created and upheld. The paper concludes that various coping strategies are consistently deployed by the players in their attempt to integrate into Thai society. Additionally, emotional attachments to homelands are expressed and heightened during events such as the World Cup. Findings suggest that among the diasporic community, identities are multi-layered, inclusive of local, regional, national and global attachments which are unveiled and more sharply defined when the individual is ‘confronted with “outsiders”’.

Iranian Sports Migration and the Gender Imbalance: Examining Emigration Framing of Elite Iranian Athletes by State-Run Media

Utilizing framing theory, the present study examined gender differences in Iranian state-run media and alternative media portrayals of elite athlete emigration. By analyzing 704 online news articles published between 2007 and 2022 and comparing gender disparities, the study provides insights into the framing narratives used by a nation without a free press to undermine gender equity and national dialogues about sport. The study determined that male athletes received disproportionally high framing coverage over time, but this gender imbalance shifted to the inverse in 2020. This can be attributed to a sudden influx of prominent female athletes emigrating from Iran to avoid political persecution. Study findings also uncovered a stark contrast in the prominence of frames attributed to each gender.

Research on the Application of Sports Migration in Physical Education Teaching

Research on the Application of Sports Migration in Physical Education Teaching

Football migration in the Czech Republic: A multi-level analysis of football migration in a semi-peripheral European Nation

ABSTRACT Football migration, including flows and effects, is measured over the first 27 years of the independent Czech Football League. Hierarchical multi-level analysis is used to test previous sport migration effects. Particular attention is paid to the economic and sport position of both sending and receiving nations by examining results through the world-systems theory. Though the number of football migrants continues to rapidly increase, the statistical results of this study indicate that receiving football migrants into the semi-periphery nation of Czech, where football is a primary sport, may increase winning percentage in the short term, but it does not lead to increases in fan attendance or improve the nation’s FIFA rankings. Longer term deliberation needs to be taken by individual club teams, as well as national federations, in order maximize the benefits of migration flows in the future.

‘Sport is Not Why I’m Here’: A Case Study of Cultural Transition among American Postgraduate Dual-Career Athletes

Although athlete labor migration has been extensively studied, little research has examined its effect on postgraduate dual-career athletes. This study examined how labor migration influenced the dual-career identities of sixteen American postgraduate athletes at one British university through a cultural transition model (CTM). This three-phase model profiles the developmental tracks athletes’ experience during migration. Data were collected primarily through semi-structured interviews and interpreted using thematic analysis. Results indicated that proceeding through CTM’s phases affected migrants’ dual-career identities. Participants developed more parallel dual-career identities due to differences in the British college sport culture and having time to pursue alternate interests. These results contrast with existing college athlete migration literature which suggests that athlete identities converge on sport at the expense of other pursuits. Conversely, these migrants used the sport migration experience to detach from liner identities and prepare for subsequent phases of life.

‘Many attend chiefly in search of pleasure’: the Great National Horse Show at the Royal Dublin Society, 1868–80

AbstractThis paper explores the foundation of the Dublin Horse Show from 1868–80, when it was held at the Royal Dublin Society's (R.D.S.) headquarters on Merrion Square. Early iterations were intended to address the depletion of the equine population in the mid-nineteenth century, a matter of concern for agriculture and industry, but also for those with an interest in sport and horses as opportunities for leisure. Horse shows arose nearly simultaneously in Ireland and England as intersections between associational culture, agricultural improvement and a burgeoning middle-class leisure sphere established animal shows as instruments for improving breeding, but also as forms of entertainment. The popular success of horse shows fostered the development of economic clusters, as local businesses began to depend on them as reliable sources of annual income. They also reflected equestrian sport's migration from largely elite pursuits into popular recreation, including competitions that would eventually lead to the modern sport of showjumping. The events established at the early R.D.S. Horse Show are still recognisable today in their combination of improvement and leisure based in the promotion of Irish horses as exemplars of sporting excellence.

Attitude to migration of Syrian student-athletes

The problem of sports migration is considered as a new direction of interdisciplinary research. The purpose of the study was to study the attitudes of Syrian student athletes towards migration in the field of sports. The study was conducted among undergraduate students of 1-4 years in the faculty of "Physical culture" Tishrin University, Lattakia, Syria. A total of 34 students took part in the study. involved in different sports. The author's questionnaire was used as a method. The results of the study revealed that Syrian student athletes are quite informed about the migration of athletes, since everyone knows migrant athletes. Data have been obtained regarding which motives for migration in sports they consider the most significant, the opinion of students about the difficulties of migration and the strategies necessary to overcome them. The data may be relevant for specialists dealing with the problem of migration in sports.

A Systematic Review of Research on Sport Migration

Research on sport migration spans many disciplines and strands of inquiry, with some studies seeking to analyse the academic outputs. However, these studies sometimes are focused on certain specific contexts or offer only qualitative analysis. This present study aimed to analyse the literature on sport migration. Through a systematic review, we combined data from the articles to propose a classification of the sport migration research field. The results show that research in sport migration have focused on athletes who are mostly men, working in elite sports, and with attention to more globally practiced sports, such as football. Regarding migratory flows, they are often carried out from peripheral countries to central countries. Considering all advances in academic output on sport migration, this line of research needs to broaden, observing other dynamics involved, such as other migratory routes, groups of migrants, and social agents.

Transnational Migration and Dual Career of Slovenian and Swiss Elite Female Handball Players-A Longitudinal Analysis.

The purpose of this study was to identify the career paths of transnational migrating female elite handball players. Fourteen Slovenian and Suisse national team players were monitored over a 7-year period by means of semi-structured interviews and official handball records. At the end of the examination period, six still-active players were interviewed again. Qualitative thematic analysis was employed to develop a contextualized understanding of participants’ careers paths and life trajectories in relation to their athletic migration and dual career. In relation to the limited opportunities offered by small countries with middle-ranking national handball teams, participants highlighted that sport migration coupled with dual career opportunities represented a strategic decision for a successful career development through several key factors: (1) a clear intention towards a professional handball career; (2) the actual fulfilment of professional handball career aspirations; (3) dual career goals as part of the migration process; (4) high personal ambition and emotional connection to handball; (5) the implementation of a successful dual career path; (6) a positive migration experience; and (7) feeling supported and valued during relocation. Sport federations and elite clubs should consider the implementation of a multidimensional approach encompassing dual career paths to facilitate athletes’ transnational relocation and career transitions.

THE MIGRATION INFLUENCE ON THE RESULTS OF WRESTLERS

Introduction. Modern society is characterized by permanent large-scale transformations, which entail the transformation of social institutions. The course of the process of internationalization of professional sports is significantly influenced by economic factors. Becoming an important element of international relations, sports migration helps to realize humanitarian and cultural dialogue between countries and peoples. Aim of the research: to identify the main trends of migration processes in Olympic wrestling and their impact on the achievements of athletes. Material and methods. The careers of the participants of the 2018 and 2019 World Championships in wrestling (a total of 28 careers of migrant wrestlers) were analyzed. In order to determine the main ways of development of athletes, an analysis of age and results of achievements before and after migration was conducted. Results. Seven athletes (25.0%) changed their citizenship before the age of 22, and another six athletes (17.9%) changed their citizenship between the ages of 22 and 23, while still in the U23 age group. The largest number of athletes change their citizenship after the age of 26: 10 wrestlers (35.7%) changed their citizenship at the age of 27-29 and two wrestlers (7.1%) changed their age at the age of 30 and older. Before migration, athletes participated on average 7.4 times and 2.1 times less than after migration, respectively, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers. Conclusions. Based on the analysis, it is advisable to identify two main groups of wrestlers who have changed their citizenship to continue their sports careers: - wrestlers under 23 years old and wrestlers over 26 years old. The analysis of achievements showed that the average number of performances in the international arena and the average number of won prizes after migration increases several times.

Editorial

Editorial

The process of formation and development of an academic field: the example of sport migration

This research aims to analyze the academic field of knowledge production on the theme of sport migration, highlighting the main authors, institutions, and countries of origin of the knowledge produced. For this, a systematic review was used in three key international databases. A total of 190 manuscripts were identified that dealt with the theme, and it was observed that the rate of knowledge production increased after the 1990s. It was also determined that the theme received important contributions from authors linked to UK institutions. It was concluded that the scientific field of the theme of sport migration has a centrality in English-speaking nations and European countries and could benefit from greater attention being paid to the knowledge output from peripheral countries or researchers from these locations.

Participatory action research and visual and digital methods with refugees in Kampala, Uganda: process, ethical complexities, and reciprocity

Though there are some studies that have adopted participatory action research (PAR) approaches in sport, physical activity, and forced migration research, there remains a need for further examination of the ethical complexities associated with PAR and the use of visual and digital methods. The purpose of this paper is to outline the process of conducting PAR using visual and digital methods with refugees in Kampala, Uganda, and to identify and discuss key ethical complexities and considerations. The paper provides an overview of the methodology employed for this study, including specific steps taken prior to, during, and after the implementation of fieldwork. Key ethical moments of importance are highlighted. The paper concludes by suggesting ways forward for broadening conversations about the ethics of the use of visual and digital methods in studies of sport, physical activity, and forced migration research.

Motives of labour migrations of foreign elite athletes to Polish table tennis clubs

Abstract The paper presents results of empirical study on elite foreign athletes working in Polish top table tennis clubs. It focuses on professional migration motives of elite table tennis players. In-depth interviews were carried out with 27 foreign table tennis players from 10 countries, who were playing for two top league clubs in Poland, and with 8 club coaches who were working with foreign players. Research was conducted during the 2014/2015 league season. The surveyed athletes came both from European countries of higher economic status than Poland and from outside Europe, from countries of lower economic status. A significant number of the surveyed players (11) arrived at Poland from China. The reasons why the surveyed players decided to come to Poland were varied and included both pull factors resulting from attractiveness of work abroad and factors pushing the players away from their home country sport system. Among the motives mentioned by the respondents, the major ones seem to be the desire to continue their professional career and to develop as players. Most of the respondents reported a few factors motivating them to come to Poland and play in the Polish table tennis league. Most often they gave several reasons altogether and it is not easy to classify them as exclusively one of the typo-logies of sport migrants presented in the literature. For some of the respondents, the decisive criterion was the high level of the Polish table tennis league, staying only slightly behind the French and German leagues. For others, good financial conditions offered by the Polish clubs and the possibility of improving living conditions were of key importance. Push factors were particularly important in the case of Asian players representing a very high level of sport skills, however slightly lower than the level of the Chinese national team.

Proposal for an Analytical Model for Sports Migration

The purpose of this study was to present a proposal for an analytical model for sports migration studies is presented. The model was developed by sports Researchers located in Brazil and seeks to broaden the perspective of the migratory phenomenon in the social field of sports. The model is based on the understanding that the migration process in the sports sector is influenced and shaped by a set of four dimensions, namely, political, cultural, economic, and personal. It is believed that the proposal is legitimized by the needs identified from the literature, adding different perspectives to analyse the phenomenon, thus reducing any dichotomies and limitations of view. In addition to being a point of view that starts from the perspective of the global south.

The Nationalization of Algerian Football following Independence, 1962–1982

Ever since the rise of professionalism in 1932, more than 500 Algerian footballers have taken part in the National Championship of France. Their story is the result of a common, troubled period. Based on the cross-referencing of written and oral sources collected in France, Switzerland and Algeria, including approximately sixty interviews with former professional Algerian players from all generations, the focus of this study is the brutal nationalization of Algerian football after independence. How did Algerian politics affect elite football? What were the consequences for sports migration between two countries linked by a long and bloody colonial history? Starting in 1962, civilian and military clubs and teams were strictly controlled by the Algerian State and Football Association. For political reasons, related to the prestige of Algeria as a nation, players were often not allowed to migrate, or to be selected to wear the colours of Algeria. The intention of this article is to analyse the role of football in the construction of the nation of Algeria after 1962. Football helped put Algeria on the map despite a lack of involvement and representation by African nations in the main decision-making instutions of football, notably FIFA.