Politics directly related with economic issues, influence the course of action one country might choose against another and certainly affect the role of sports, since they are a vital part of a nation’s role in the global scene. Through boycotting sports events or using athletes for propaganda purposes, individual countries have tried over past practices to impose their political views and affect the world’s understanding. But especially because of the immense public’s interest in international athletic events, influencing political views and gaining valuable exchange power becomes an important issue on a nation’s sport agenda, while the danger of engagement in ‘country-battles’ in the international relations field, does not always count as a serious disadvantage.
At the same time, the commercialism that accompanies spectator sports gradually engulfs both amateur and professional events. By the late 20th century, the televising of athletic events had made sports as the ‘new’ big business. On the other hand, the expanding public concern on personal physical health led to mass participation, not necessarily competitive, in...