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.  

Sport, as the virtuous expression of human self-improvement, honors standing in direct contact with another in the context of values ​​and respect, to seek becoming a better person. Humanitarianism and Olympism share the universal ideals of respect and dignity. Their opposites, terrorism, prejudice and violence are today our main challenges. Perhaps we should see in Olympism and the principles of humanitarianism a tool for reconciliation between peoples and a solution to these conflicts.

The Olympic Games are all about athletics and sportsmanship, for sure. But this year’s games in Rio have also put a spotlight on the environment. Sustainability is playing a big part [...] All the athletes got a chance to plant seedlings native to Brazil in silver containers on the stadium floor. After the Olympics is over, the seeds will be replanted in west Rio de Janeiro, where they will grow in a new “Athletes’ Forest.”

On the heels of the largest sports diplomacy event, the 2016 Rio Olympics, Empower2Play will launch its very own ten-day sports diplomacy event with the US Embassy in Cite Soleil, Haiti, incorporating American Football, which begins on September 10th. [...] This event will bring together over 300 local youth and 100 volunteers from around the world.

Now that I have been elected Governor of Tokyo, which will host the 2020 Games, I am quickly preparing myself and my team for the grueling tests of management that lie ahead of us. In particular, we must become world-class cost-control accountants, so that the Games are a success not just for the athletes, but also for the citizens of Tokyo and all Japanese. We want to take pride in our Games, and we cannot do that if we hobble future generations with debt.

Sports are for fun. However, behind the fun lies the power that can unite people. Sports teach an individual to be responsible and discipline. The good principles of sports spread a good message to people who watch sports. Sports are more than a recreational activity, both to those who play and those who watch.

Sports diplomacy is one of the few available ways North Korea is able to pursue public affairs diplomacy. In fact, Hong was photographed embracing American gymnast and current Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles during an international competition in 2014.