A touch of basketball diplomacy is in play in Rangoon as Burma and the US continue to restore relations. Four American sports envoys are in the former Burmese capital to host a series of workshops with local youth.

“The use of sport in local or intra-national diplomacy has proven effective in the case of Tanzania between two formerly conflicting nations, Tanganyika and Zanzibar, with the conduct of sports paving the way towards cultural exchanges, which eventually led to the strengthening of ties between the two liberation movements,” the lawmakers said in their bill.

Studying the Olympics should be a required experience for anyone running for or serving in public office. Maybe then they could get over the persistent, uncompromising ego that figures so large in politics, and end up working for the common good.

Only cricket diplomacy will not do between India and Pakistan...Polo is one of the favourite games in both Baltistan and Ladakh. This is the traditional sport of both the regions. If this sport is encouraged then people from both these regions can be made to come together in dialogue and cross-border tours and travel which will open new vistas for reaching long-lasting peace.

Australia has always punched above its weight at the Olympics and was perhaps the first country to realize the soft power that can be harnessed by sporting success on the international stage.

The Olympic Games and the World Cup offer host cities and countries a unique opportunity to make their mark on the world stage. However, such global sporting events aren't always held just for fun. According to Loïc Ravenel, the Games are always viewed as a statement on the national and international stage.