The world of sports is a multi-billion dollar industry that influences the political, economic and social aspects of countries around the globe. It also helps to shape their image or identity. For example, the FIFA World Cup, arguably the biggest international competition in all of sport, stirs up national pride when it comes around every four years. The Olympic Games are another colossal sporting event that brings athletes from around the world together to compete while embodying the spirit of Olympism.
The Olympics are governed by the International Olympic Committee, an organisation that sets and enforces Olympic rules, and it also chooses the host city for future Games six years in advance. The IOC is a powerful body that can influence global politics, causing controversy at times. For example, during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Adolf Hitler refused to recognize African American athlete Jesse Owens’ gold medal wins.
These days, the most prestigious international competitions are played on neutral ground. This allows professional athletes to represent their country, and it has allowed the development of new sports such as soccer, cricket and golf.
Other events are organised across concords of cultural elements, such as language, like the Francophone Games; ethnicity, such as the Maccabiah Games for Jewish athletes; occupation, like the Universiade for university students; or religion, such as the Asian Games for Muslim athletes. These multi-sport events are often referred to as inter-national, although they can sometimes be called transnational.