Sports: Probing the Boundaries

Suresh Kumar Lau , in Athens

A three-day 2^nd Global Conference- Sports: Probing the Boundaries was organized by Oxfordshire based Inter-Disciplinary .Net, which is accredited by the British Accreditation Council in Athens, Greece recently at the Royal Olympic Hotel.

The Conference was attended by experts, sportsperson and representative of sports industries, policy-makers and sports developers from all over the world. Athens, which is the cradle of western civilization, interacted with 23 participants from 13 countries. Experts from different disciplines were selected and invited to deliver research oriented lectures on a wide range of disciplines. The objective of the conference was to explore the Janus face of sports, to try and better understand the status of sport in everyday lives.

Some of the topics chosen by the scholars and experts were sport and social identity, Commercialization and sport, History of modern sport, sport and celebrities, the politics of sports and sports fandom.

The conference was inaugurated by distinguished Professor of Leisure studies, Prof. Karl Spracklen, Institute of Sport, Physical Activity and Leisure, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, United Kingdom (UK). In his inaugural address Prof. Spracklen expressed his views on sport. He pointed out sport has a chimeric value in modern life.

The three day conference had 23 presentations, each followed by an interactive session. The speaker from organizations like, Southampton Solent University, UK, Northwestern University, Qatar, The Durham University, UK, De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK, Warsaw University, Poland, Norwich University, USA, University of Chichester, UK, Ohio University, USA, ILES, Istanbul, Turkey, Erciyes University, Melikgazi ,Kayseri, Turkey, University of Utah, USA ,Clemson University, USA, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia University of Cape Town, South Africa, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, United Arab Emirate, Tel-Aviv University, Israel, Maasai Mara University, Kenya, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK and University of Delhi, India.

One the first day of the conference, there were two technical sessions. In the first session, Mark Turner of Southampton Solent University, UK delivering his lecture outlined the social, cultural and political changes in British Football from 1950’s to the formatting of the global Premier League and explored how they facilitated the broader change in which football players have transformed from local heroes to global stars.

The second speaker Susan Dun of Northwestern University, Qatar, focused on managing fans and building infrastructure in double time. The third speaker was Ori Katz, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Ori outlined the symbolic boundaries negotiation in the first fan-owned club in Israel.

The fourth speaker was Prof. Karl Sparcklen of Leeds Metropolitan University, UK. He apprised the participants how sport clothing is everywhere and on everyone. He also explained that elite athletes earn extra millions endorsing fashion labels or associated brands.

On the second day of the conference, there were ten speakers. To start with, Simon Darnell of Durham University, UK, made a presentation on the Olympic Movement and “Global Citizenship” Education. Somon outlined the concept of global citizenship and the activities of the International Olympic Committee and Olympic Movement in promoting or advocating for global citizenship education, particularly among young people.

Franklin Abad of De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines discussed some of the significant steps in transgendered women in sports. The third speaker was Dr. Dikaia Chatziefstathiou, Reader in Olympic studies and the Social Analysis of sport, Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent, UK. She appraised the social legacies of the Olympic Games in European host Olympic cities and more specifically focuses on the impacts that such events can have on social capital as an important aspects in maintaining a productive and lively society.

Karolina Tetlak of Warsaw University, Poland, focused on taxation of sports Heroes and said that it should be the right of host countries to levy tax on foreign sportsman on any performance related income. She observed that event has inspired international sports bodies to constant rate a beneficial and uniform legal framework for championships.

Prof. Andrea Kathryn Talentino, Norwich University, USA focused on international norms and the Olympic Games. He also explained the details how the Games can be seen as a vehicle of legitimacy was pioneered by Germany in 1936, fell largely dormant until the end of the Cold War, and was revived aggressively by South Korea in 1988. Daniel potter, University of Chichester, UK discussed the impact of a participant- centered sport for social change intervention pilot project in the UK with a group of vulnerable young people aged 16-25 year old.

Michael Carrier of Ohio University, USA elucidated in detail the big business of free labour in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Umit Qzcali, Director ILES, Turkey delivered the lecture on effects of sport tourism events on host cities. He further highlighted the social impact of the youth International Olympic Games in Trabzon (Turkey) in 2011. Abdusselam Kose of Erciyes University, Turkey highlighted the effect of global economic crises and financial problems on extreme sports industry.

Mary Wells, University of Utah, USA and Skye Arthur-Banning Clemson University, USA elucidated in detail the positive opportunities, attitudes and behaviors that can result from sport. Peter Ochieng of Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia, expresses the view that the student- athletics as one of the other forms of extracurricular activities was beneficial and may also enhance overall University experiences, satisfaction and contribute towards their holistic development. Gary Gabriels of Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa discussed the nutritional supplement consumption. He also emphasized the need for implementing a system for regulating, monitoring and enforcing the quality control of nutritional supplements.  Andrew Lewis of Stellenbosch University, South Africa deliberated on Sport psychology within the South African primary school curricular. Dr. Andrew, in his presentation highlighted the relevance of sport psychology principles and skills in this crucial phase of primary school in order for teachers to understand them and to extrapolate them to sport activities. Veteran researcher James M. Dorsey of United Arab Emirates stated that Soccer as a barometer of migrant integration.

Dan Romann, Cohn Institute for History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel-Aviv University, Israel talk of the ethos of professionalism, in light of the Dionysian and Nietzsche’s principle of self-overcoming. Dr. Solomon Waliaula, School of Arts and Social Science, Maasai Mara University, Kenya critically analyzed the presumed hierarchical relationship between English football and its Kenyan slum audiences.

Just before valedictory function, the last but not least speaker was Dr. Suresh Kumar, Associate Professor, Satyawati college (Evening), University of Delhi, made a presentation on India and Alien sports culture. He outlined the radical social-culture economic changes that are turning the world into a “Global Village”, there is jeopardy that many “folk games” and “folk sports”may be lost forever.

Participating delegates complimented the organizer for organizing such a successful global conference (right behind the temple of Olympian Zeus) and providing platform to Doctors, Professors, Scholars, Sportsperson to share their views on sports and role of sports as well as different aspects of contemporary aspect of sports. The suggestion received by the participants were to organize more conferences on the topic like women and sports, mass media and sports management etc. Prof. Karl Spracklen, an eminent sports expert and joint organizing chairperson proposed the vote of thanks on behalf of Inter-Disciplinary Net., Oxfordshire, UK.