Handbook of Sport and International Development

With sport’s role now firmly embedded in international development contexts, policy and delivery, this comprehensive Handbook provides a contemporary, multi-disciplinary overview of state-of-the-art research in this critical space. It features a holistic synthesis of current scholarship as well as new and emerging approaches, contexts and development foci. The Handbook includes chapters on a great variety of sport initiatives, ranging from small community projects to large-scale international events. The Handbook establishes the nexus between reflection, action, and innovation by presenting critical issues from diverse perspectives and with varied voices. Contributors include seminal scholars from broader disciplines, sport-specific development experts as well as up-and-coming academics who address contemporary challenges such as climate change, gender discrimination, athlete diplomacy and the effects of – and sports’ responses to – the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the Handbook offers critical outlooks regarding concepts, methodologies, collaborations and knowledge mobilisation in sport and international development. The Handbook of Sport and International Development will be a crucial resource for those studying and researching sport in international development settings. It will also be critical for policymakers and development practitioners seeking to gain a broader perspective on the important role of sport in international development.

‘This is a timely, perceptive, and imaginatively edited collection of articles on the post-COVID achievements, challenges, and opportunities of sport for development. While it’s not shy about revealing the harm created by North-South power imbalances, the neo-colonialism practiced upon Indigenous peoples, and the failure of many good intentions, it’s cautiously hopeful, offering many evidence-based examples of better practices. I learned a lot from it. I commend it to donors, policy-makers, students and scholars, and those on the ground.’, ‘This Handbook, carefully curated by world-leading experts in sport and development, provides a comprehensive and sophisticated overview of the field, cutting-edge insights into the issues facing sport and development today and provides a unique global perspective in authorship and contexts.’

Edited by Nico Schulenkorf, Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney, Australia, Jon Welty Peachey, Professor of Sport Management and Leadership, Gordon College, US, Ramón Spaaij, Professor Sociology of Sport, Victoria University, Australia and Holly Collison-Randall, Senior Lecturer in Sport Business, Loughborough University, UK