Small states : sports diplomacy as foreign policy strategy

Abstract

In focusing on great powers and the shifting balance of power (U.S. decline, rise of China, and Russian revisionism), how small states exercise power is often neglected. These shifts in the international balance of power can create a more permissive environment for small states, providing them with opportunities and more agency in terms of their foreign policies. Among different strategies, small states use sports to boost their status, punch above their size, promote national identity and nation-building, engage in soft power diplomacy and manage disputes. Whether through hosting mega-sporting events, investing in elite sports and infrastructure, engaging in collective action to sanction more powerful states in international sporting competitions, or acting as norm entrepreneurs, the use of sports diplomacy demonstrates to larger states that small states do have agency in navigating the complexities of a changing international order.