The U.S. Embassy in Bishkek says that a U.S. delegation comprised of rodeo cowboys, Native American dancers, Peace Corps Volunteers, and an American Indian carpet weaver will participate in the Second World Nomad Games on September 3-8 in Cholpon Ata, Kyrgyzstan.

Empower2Play will be hosting a ten-day sports diplomacy event in Cite Soleil, Haiti, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world. This event will be hosted with the US Embassy and will be focusing on using American Football to gets kids active and expand knowledge of the game in an area that could use a distraction from the daily situation.

South Korea and Morocco have agreed to tighten collaboration in cultural sectors that include education, sports and youth exchanges as they seek closer bilateral diplomatic ties, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

This series of events will draw international attention to the small, landlocked nation of 5.72 million. The World Nomad Games, in particular, will draw the kind of benign soft power attention most countries relish. The attention is much desired, especially when it comes with a potential boost to tourism in one of the region’s poorest states.

Indeed, the Olympic Torch may represent ‘peace, unity and friendship’ but the Games have always been about more than sportsmanship. The objective is to carry out sports diplomacy; however, the result is often dictated by power politics. This year, for instance, the participation of the first ever team of displaced athletes named ‘Team Refugees’ brings to light the instability of political regimes around the world.

As number 16 in the world medal chart in Rio and currently top in Africa, Kenya is in the league of the world’s sports powers. Kenya should fund its nationalist project as part of its sports diplomacy and projection of soft power. There is no reason why gold medallists should not be full ambassadors and remunerated accordingly. The country must consciously and innovatively invest in its sports talents.

Together O’Neal and Canales became the first official U.S. Department of State Basketball Sports Envoys to Cuba, taking U.S. diplomacy to new heights by forging positive ties with the people of Cuba through the unifying power of sports.