sports diplomacy
It was for the first time since its formation in 2011 that players from the Tibet Women's Soccer team soared the skies and played on an international pitch last month. The Tibetan footballers-in-exile were invited to attend the Discover Football Beyond Borders festival in Berlin, Germany from June 27 to July 6.
Since their fateful meeting the two teams have encountered one another on several occasions—most notably during the Opening Ceremony, when a delegate from Iran passed the torch to a delegate from Israel. Kirsten Suto Seckler, Chief Marketing Officer for the games said it was a deliberate decision by the Special Olympics organizing committee to “send a powerful message.”
This video demonstrates the power of sports diplomacy to empower athletes of all abilities and talents to succeed when given the opportunity.
China's capital might seem an unlikely place to find American football, but interest among China's youth is growing, according to Shen Yu, marketing director for Great Stone Gridiron. The private football club was Beijing's first when it was founded three years ago. Around 500 children participate, including about 150 in tackle football programs.
The 36-member team, which included members of the Phil-Chinese community, paid a courtesy call on Philippine Ambassador to China Erlinda Basillo, who referred to the dual meet as “ping pong diplomacy”, which is what both sides need in the face of tensions gripping the Philippines and China.
Despite the politics of the last decades, baseball clearly played a very crucial role in shaping up and strengthening the common bonds between the US and Cuba separated by only 90 miles. The recently announced restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries marks the start of a new era for the two peoples.
Because of the U.S.’s performance in 1999, countries like Germany, France, Japan, and England began to invest in the women’s game and begin to compete – and at times surpass – the U.S. The game as a whole was made stronger by the U.S. in 1999.
Moved by the child's plight, Portugal's soccer federation donated some 40,000 euros to build Martunis and his surviving family a new house. Cristiano Ronaldo, now a global superstar but then still a rising talent, paid Martunis a visit in 2005 and met him a few instances thereafter.