Sport as politics and history: the 25th SEA Games in Laos (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate) |
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| Authors: | Simon Creak |
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| Institution: | Research Associate in the Department of Political and Social Change, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University. His 2010 PhD thesis examined sport, colonialism and nationalism in 20th‐century Laos. In April 2011 Simon will commence his role as Associate Professor with Kyoto University's Hakubi Project to Foster and Support Young Researchers, where he will be based in the Center of Southeast Asian Studies. His email is simoncreak@gmail.com. |
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| Abstract: | Like the recent World Cup in South Africa and the Beijing 2008 Olympics, December 2009's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Laos were embraced by the state as evidence of national achievement and progress. Yet, just like these much larger global sporting events, a range of controversies threatened to turn the pride of the Games into embarrassment. Of particular concern was the fact that, despite significantly reducing the size of the Games, Laos — one of the smallest and poorest countries in Southeast Asia — depended greatly on foreign help to conduct them, especially from China. The ultimate success of the SEA Games in Laos reinforced the power of sport to consolidate nationalism, despite the paradox in Laos of nationalism emerging from a complex mix of autonomy and dependence. |
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