President Ma Ying-jeou has successfully added a new dimension to his state visit to African allies with “sport diplomacy” that will further cement bilateral relationships..While in The Gambia, President Ma faced down another sports challenge...leading Taiwan past The Gambia 4-3 in a soccer penalty kick shootout at a local junior high school built with financial aid from Taiwan.

Secretary Clinton also had a chance to hold a series of bilateral meetings with her counterparts, including Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird. During their meeting, Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Baird underscored that they share a lot in common -- except for whom they are supporting in the upcoming NHL playoffs.

Forty years ago this month, Maryland began its engagement with China by becoming the site of an iconic exchange in sports diplomacy, a groundbreaking ping-pong match between China and the U.S...The University of Maryland's role in the celebrated milestone of "ping pong diplomacy" signaled the state's early emergence as a pioneer in the promotion of burgeoning U.S.-China ties.

Shared identity is unsustainable without incorporating culture and sports under the European umbrella, and football might prove to be one of the highest hurdles to jump on the road to Europeanization.

Sports diplomacy builds on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of “smart power,” which embraces the full range of diplomatic tools – in this case the game of basketball – to bring people together to foster greater understanding.

Part of the Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative, this exchange builds on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of “smart power,” which embraces the full range of diplomatic tools – in this case the game of basketball – to bring people together to foster greater understanding.

If the BCCI gets together with the ministry of external affairs, the potential for track two, or 'doosra' diplomacy can be exploited to the fullest with countries with whom we have outstanding issues. The 'doosra' may well prove more productive than the mainstream efforts of our envoys because it appeals directly to the masses.

As part of the “Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative,” the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and U.S. Soccer announced today that the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team will take to the soccer field and lead a event for Japanese youth...