International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics

ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/risp20

Sport and development in emerging nations

Edited by Cem Tinaz and Brendon Knott, New York: Routledge, 2021, 242 pp.,
£96.00 (hardback), £29.59 (ebook), ISBN 9780367903602

Wawan Junresti Daya

To cite this article: Wawan Junresti Daya (2022): Sport and development in emerging nations,
International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, DOI: 10.1080/19406940.2022.2082512

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2022.2082512

Published online: 31 May 2022.

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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORT POLICY AND POLITICS

BOOK REVIEW

Sport and development in emerging nations, Edited by Cem Tinaz and Brendon Knott,
New York: Routledge, 2021, 242 pp., £96.00 (hardback), £29.59 (ebook), ISBN 9780367903602

The shift in the sports industry, especially the organisation of mega sport events from developed
countries to emerging nations, has attracted the attention of many parties to conduct academic
research to investigate the phenomena that occur in emerging nations and the extent of the impact
of the sports industry on socio-economic development in the country. Sport and Development in
Emerging Nations, edited by Cem Tinaz and Brendon Knott, contributes to the literature by illustrat­
ing how sports can be used as a tool to achieve economic and social development goals, from the
policy and political perspectives in emerging nations.
The context of emerging nations refers to the economic growth of a country related to markets,
which are often called emerging markets (MSCI 2021). Emerging nations used to have weak
economies and are in the process of moving towards an advanced economy. Emerging nations
also used to rely on traditional economies. Now, they move towards industrialisation and global
markets. Economic growth in emerging nations is very fast, which is characterised by the of
population of young people and a growing middle class. Emerging nations have the potential to
become new challengers to developed countries in the economic, social, and other fields in the
future. That is why China and several other countries are still in the category of emerging nations.
Sport and development refers to the capacity of sports to contribute to the personal and social
development of individuals. The experience of participating in sports can provide individuals with
opportunities to increase self-confidence, learn to accept strengths and weaknesses, as well as
a means of developing personal qualities such as work ethic and team spirit (Astle et al. 2018).
This book is interesting because that aim to add insight into the globalisation of the sports
industry by highlighting the challenges, problems, and opportunities of sports for socio-economic
development in emerging nations. In emerging nations, sports and development are developed with
different models and goals. This condition is caused by differences in socio-cultural, political,
economic and sport policies of emerging nations. For example, in Brazil, South Africa, and Qatar,
sports and development are packaged through sports mega-events. In Turkey, the concept of sports
and development was used for the development of youth. In Korea, sports are used as tools of unity
and peace.
Sport and Development in Emerging Nations begins with an introductory chapter by the editors,
providing the rationale for writing a book on sport and development. The second and third chapters
describe the contradictions of sports mega events that have a positive impact on the image of a city
but negatively affect the financial balance and harm disadvantaged and marginalised people, as
happened in Brazil. Furthermore, in China, the professional football league has become a pillar for
economic growth amid its ambition to become an economic and political superpower. The fourth
and fifth chapters describe sport and development in eastern Europe. Sport and development in the
Czech Republic refers to the history of political revival. Sporting activities are used to support the
communist regime. In Hungary, sport and development focuses on providing recreational sports
facilities for the community.
The sixth chapter provides insights into the professional cricket league as the identity and pride of
Indian society. Sports and development in India is developed through professional sports leagues
that are characteristic of the country to increase community participation, such as cricket and
kabaddi sports. The seventh chapter describes an important event that cannot be separated from
the history of sports and development in Indonesia, namely the issuance of the Sports System Law in
2 BOOK REVIEW

2005. The eighth chapter describes the vital role of NGOs or community-based NGOs to use sports as
an educational tool and provide Sports for Development and Peace in Mexico. The ninth chapter
explains that Poland uses sport as an indicator of social change in society. Chapter ten focuses on
sports and development in Qatar. In this country, soccer has become a means of improving the
socio-economic community, especially as a legacy after the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The eleventh chapter discusses sports and development in South Africa. In this country, the focus
of the government is to increase sports participation in society, especially in the democratic era after
the apartheid political period. Chapter twelve describes that sports have become a tool to enhance
bilateral relations and peace between North and South Korea. Chapter thirteen focuses on sports and
development in Turkey. In this country, sports and development aims at the development of the
younger generation throughout the Turkish region. The Youth Center was specifically built to
support recreational sports and youth communities. Sports and development in Turkey is carried
out by combining cultural and religious elements with sports and recreational activities.
In the concluding chapter, Cem Tinaz and Brendon Knott said that this book is a literature to
explain how sports contribute to development in emerging nations in terms of social, economic,
cultural, political, technological, or environmental dimensions. In social and economic contexts where
historical legacies and political regimes are very influential, sports and development in emerging
nations must pay attention to consistency in sports policies, governance and accountability, partner­
ships and sponsorships, social inclusion and transformation, and innovation for sustainability.
This book is an excellent work, presenting multiple perspectives on sports and development in
emerging nations. Empirical data from expert research is presented in this book, which is described
comprehensively. This book provides an open space for woman writers to prove equality in the
academic field. In this book, a lot of evidence is presented that sports contribute to social, economic,
cultural, political aspects. This book is highly recommended to be read by policy makers, sports
teachers, lecturers, researchers, postgraduate students, as a reference for examining sports and devel­
opment policies a comparison of sports and development policies in emerging nations in the world.

Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP). Thank you to Prof. Amung Ma’mun from
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia who has discussed and provided access to the book. Finally, the author would like to
express his deepest gratitude to Fikri Yanda from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, for his early readings and editing of the
article.

References
Astle, A., Leberman, S., and Watson, G., Eds., 2018. Sport development in action: plan, programme and practice. 1st ed.
London and New York: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315179322.
MSCI, 2021. MSCI market classification framework. (online). (Accessed 17 May 2022). Available at: https://www.msci.
com/documents/1296102/1330218/MSCI_MARKET_CLASSIFICATION_FRAMEWORK_2021.pdf/2639cb9b-7687-b3c2
-f9c2-b766fde077c9

Wawan Junresti Daya

Department of Sport Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
wawanpor20@upi.edu
© 2022 Wawan Junresti Daya
https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2022.2082512