Written By Preksha Jhunjhunwala
A. Introduction – Through Stories
The term “Sports Diplomacy”, at its core, refers to the usage of international sporting platforms and players by countries to showcase their diplomatic intentions and ideologies.[1] The uses could include but are not limited to - the establishment of merit in the international circuit, development of unofficial diplomatic friendships (or animosity), or promoting certain goals like human rights and representation, We have seen many demonstrations in the past of countries using major sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, World Cups, etc., for these very purposes.[2]
In 1936, Germany used the opportunity to host the Olympic Games as a platform to broadcast their Nazi propaganda on an international level. They wanted to assert Aryan superiority by proving them to be the fittest and strongest and putting down people of other races. They did top the medal count that year, with 33 golds – and took it as a global display of a powerful society and ethnicity.[3]
Further, we saw the usage of table tennis to ease tensions between The United States of America and China during the Cold War.[4] It started at the 1971 World Table Tennis Championships, where the unexpected friendship between a Chinese and American player opened a dialogue for state leaders to take positive actions. The simple act of exchanging gifts was a huge step in furthering relations between the two countries, and the players were applauded for their sportsmanship and diplomatic skills.[5]
However, the outcome of the relationship between sports and diplomacy is not always positive. An example of ties between two countries going sour was between El Salvador and Honduras. They had some underlying tensions due to migrants going from El Salvador to Honduras, but these tensions got amplified during the qualifiers round of the football World Cup, in 1969. It was during the third match when El Salvador completely burned bridges with Honduras and started bombing them.[6]
These instances show us how sporting events, their participation, and their outcomes can work for or against international relations. They can be used to extend a hand of friendship, such as in the case of ping pong; but can also be used as an outlet – a tipping point or the final straw to sever any and all associations, such as in the case of the 1969 La Guerra del Futbol.[7]
B. Between Wickets and Wars
A curious case closer to home is the development of the concept of “cricket diplomacy”, most famously seen between India and Pakistan.[8] Cricket has played a great role in managing relations between the two countries. It has been like this since the Pakistani team toured India for the first time in 1954, post which both countries relaxed some of their tough visa restrictions to let fans of the two countries to visit and cheer their teams on.[9]
The former Pakistani President General Zia-ul-Haq did take the initiative to build on the foundations of cricket diplomacy – calling it “cricket for peace”. After the wars of 1965 and 1971, cricket was once again continued by efforts of his and Morarji Desai’s governments.[10]
The status of the Indo-Pak relations was reflected on and off the pitch. However, due to the complex nature of our divide, the parallels sometimes turned out to be contradictory. In 1978, when cricket was resumed between India and Pakistan, Morarji Desai had ordered to cease RAW activities in Pakistan, a positive step towards building goodwill between the nations.[11] Yet, in the finale of the same series (amongst the allegations of biased umpires), Pakistan won – using the win as a symbol, a message sent of Muslim dominance over Hindus to the entire world.[12]
But later in 1987, President General ul-Haq’s historical visit to India in an Indo-Pak match eased high strains during turbulent times. The match at Jaipur provided an informal platform for dialogue to be exchanged between President General Ul-Haq and the Prime Minister of India at the time, Rajiv Gandhi. Against the backdrop of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and diplomatic force on India, this conversation helped calm the storm brewing between India and Pakistan.
Unfortunately, the storm never fully dissipated, and continues to linger even today.
C. Power of Pixels
e-Sports has gained exponential popularity over the past few years. We have seen East Asian countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, etc., become hubs for e-sports development. The growth has been so fast, that we now have federations like the International Esports Federation (IESF) in South Korea governing it on a national level,[13] and professional leagues for e-sports. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has even announced the Olympic Esports Games starting in 2025, to be held in Saudi Arabia.[14]
With the widespread of e-sports comes an abundance of opportunities that are all-pervasive in nature. We look into the case of South Korea and China specifically.
South Korea was a centre point in the rise of esports. Geographically speaking, South Korea was at an advantage in terms of maintaining diplomatic relations with powerful countries, like China, Japan, and Russia. This puts South Korea in a unique position to have access to new markets, as existing trade policies, licenses, and allowances would make the process faster and cheaper for them.[15]
However, China slowly took over their place. The Chinese industry has grown at a tremendous rate. Through its policy decisions, strategic investments, and companies like Tencent taking charge, China made itself a global esports powerhouse.
China has become a tempting cite for all things esports, be it players, coaches, game developers, tournament organisers, etc. In fact, South Korea has seen a lot of migration to China, players and coaches especially. China has now created better opportunities, financially and by exposure.[16] This is very attractive to South Korean esports people with good expertise.
This leads to South Korea facing a brain drain, as all the talent would want to move abroad for better opportunities. Additionally, the South Korean esports industry now has a direct, very big competitor as its opponent. This opponent has the potential to divert things like foreign investment, sponsorship, and market capital away from South Korea, leaving the South Korean industry vulnerable. Both of these things combined, would lead to the annihilation of South Korean esports on the international level.[17]
This shifts the eyes of the world from South Korea as the “mecca” of esports, to China, giving China all the more limelight. As most elite talent and opportunities would be in China, South Korea would lose its international standing as a hub for esports.
This also leads to geopolitical tensions between China and South Korea. Good trade practices like lending licenses, assisting production, etc., are steps taken in good faith, however, they do not counteract the turmoil that such competition in the fight to the top would cause. The two countries are also not immune to tactics used previously in sports diplomacy, like using wins as a method to assert dominance. This has been done by South Korea, especially in the 2020 League of Legends World Championship.[18]
D. Conclusion – Levelling Up
Sports are an integral part of our society. They are a major contributor to how our nations function. Thus, using sports as a tool for developing global peace and harmony is one of the most effective ways to go about this mission. Even if not official, the subliminal message resonates throughout the world.
The popularity of esports has further opened avenues for the same. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the esports industry thrived – giving way to global interaction, and further diplomatic relations. Through geopolitics or economics, esports has already begun to leave its mark on the global sphere.
While South Korea faces tough competition from China, they have a robust culture of esports. This penetrates deep to the grassroots level, which will enable them to develop a constant supply of talent, and thus a continuous source of income for the industry.
These are not the last of the challenges faced. With growing popularity comes more competition and more complexities – but with it they bring more opportunities, new ideas, collaborations etc.
*The Author is a legal Scholar from Jindal Global Law School, India
(The Image used here is for representative purposes only)
References:
Chanda, S., & Pathan, A. B. (2024). Sporting Diplomacy: Bridging Soft Law, Global Governance, And Sustainable Development In International Relations. In GD Goenka Law School, GD Goenka University, Jindal Global Law School, & OP Jindal Global University, Migration Letters (Vol. 21, pp. 1741–1751) [Journal-article]. https://www.migrationletters.com
Kobierecki, M. M. & University of Lodz. (2013). Sport in International Relations. Expectations, possibilities and effects. International Studies. Interdisciplinary Political and Cultural Journal, 49–74. https://doi.org/10.2478/ipcj-2013-0004
Ibid.
Andrews, E., & Andrews, E. (2018, October 19). How Ping-Pong Diplomacy Thawed the Cold War. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/news/ping-pong-diplomacy
Ibid.
Trunkos, J., & Heere, B. (n.d.). Sport Diplomacy: A Review of How Sports Can Be Used to Improve International Relationships. In CHAPTER 1. fit publishing.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Jha, M. (2017, March 16). India and Pakistan’s Cricket Diplomacy. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2017/03/india-and-pakistans-cricket-diplomacy/
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
IESF. (2024, January 31). About Us - IESF. https://iesf.org/about-us/
IOC announces Olympic Esports Games to be hosted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (2024, July 12). Olympics.com. https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-announces-olympic-esports-games-to-be-hosted-in-the-kingdom-of-saudi-arabia
Korean esports ecosystem and its practical implications from a geopolitical framework. (n.d.). IRIS. https://www.iris-france.org/154669-korean-esports-ecosystem-and-its-practical-implications-from-a-geopolitical-framework/
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
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