| Although the precise origins of the connection | | | | interconnectivity between people and nations, while in |
| between sports and international relations remain | | | | industrialized societies equipment was standardized, |
| obscure, all cultures have participated over the | | | | local and national organizations were set up to govern |
| course of history in different physical contests that | | | | play, and a doctrine of character-building declared |
| fostered cultural exchange and contributed to their | | | | sports to be a necessary endeavor for men. The |
| citizens' political discourse. The ancient Egyptians | | | | revival of the Olympics in 1896 and the blossoming |
| swam, raced, wrestled, and played games with balls. | | | | U.S. intercollegiate athletic system boosted many |
| The ancient Greeks held large athletic festivals, | | | | forms of amateur, or unpaid sports at the same time |
| including the Olympic Games that drew athletes' | | | | that professional sports (such as baseball, boxing, and |
| attention from all over the ancient world. Two of the | | | | bicycle racing) drew large numbers of spectators. |
| very first 'nations' to engage their athletes in sport | | | | Sports that were traditionally played only in specific |
| competitions, were the Greeks and the Romans. | | | | countries became by legislative act or general |
| They competed in various athletic events like chariot | | | | acceptance, national sports, like baseball in the United |
| races, or throwing the javelin, often relying on the | | | | States, bullfighting in Spain and Mexico, cricket in |
| participation of animals, or on the use of mechanical | | | | England, and ice hockey in Canada. |
| contrivances, a tradition continued into modern times | | | | During the 20th century, sports took on an |
| in sports such as dog racing, horse racing, and | | | | increasingly international flavor aside from the world |
| shooting. | | | | championships for individual sports, like soccer's World |
| During the Middle Ages, the cultural isolation imposed | | | | Cup, large-scale international meets, such as the |
| by the feudal system and religious doctrine that | | | | Pan-American Games and the Commonwealth |
| opposed the use of the body for play hampered the | | | | Games, were inaugurated. Sports have |
| development of organised sport in the Western | | | | correspondingly become increasingly politicized, as the |
| world. For many centuries, contests between knights | | | | boycott of the 1980 Moscow games by Western |
| in tournaments that emphasised military skill were | | | | nations has shown, or the retaliatory boycott of the |
| among the only forms of approved, public sports. In | | | | 1984 Los Angeles games by Soviet-bloc nations, an |
| the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, games | | | | exchange brought on by Soviet actions in |
| and exercise attained renewed popularity. As had | | | | Afghanistan. |
| been the case in ancient times, however, politics and | | | | Despite the difficulties that rose over the past, sport |
| social class circumscribed activity. Sports that required | | | | events are considered today a great opportunity for |
| wealth or leisure, such as polo or falconry, were the | | | | individual countries to promote their cultures, politics |
| province of the upper classes, affluent nations, while | | | | and trade. The new terms of globalization and |
| inexpensive, massed sports, such as soccer, took | | | | international relations came into the scene of |
| root among commoners and underdeveloped | | | | economic evolution and affected sport's politics, |
| countries. | | | | regulations, communication and society as a whole, |
| The late 19th century witnessed an expanding belief | | | | by using sports mass acceptance as a dominant tool |
| in sport as useful recreation and as a mean of | | | | for international negotiations and cultural exchange. |