The following is an adapted excerpt from “Social Issues in Sport” (fifth edition, Human Kinetics, November 2025), by Ronald B. Woods and B. Nalani Butler.

Sport and politics have always been intertwined, though the relationship is often complex and sometimes contentious. On one hand, sport offers a neutral platform where nations can interact without the formal constraints of political negotiation. On the other, governments and political actors frequently use sport as a tool to advance national interests, project soft power, and influence global perceptions. Sport diplomacy uses the global passion for sports to bring diverse populations of people together. Sport diplomacy teaches communication, leadership, and teamwork that help people from all corners of the world connect through their love of sport and start to restart or begin a relationship due to the commonality of sport. Examples of sport diplomacy in history include:

Ping pong diplomacy in the 1970s, when U.S. table tennis players became the first official delegation of Americans to visit China after the Chinese revolution. The trip established the foundation for a diplomatic relationship for a cultural exchange between the United States and China.

Cricket diplomacy has been used to mend the relationship between India and Pakistan after the Great Partition in 1947. Matches between the two countries have been taking place since the 1970s, and these matches have........

© Sports Business Journal