The term international sports refers to any competition in which the participants represent more than one country. This includes both national and club team matches, as well as major global sporting events such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. The first official international match in any sport took place in 1844 between teams from the United States and Canada.
Cities and countries compete to host major international sporting events by demonstrating how hosting the event will improve their economic standing as well as raise their profile worldwide. This often involves a lot of lobbying to persuade the organisers that they are the best choice, and there have been accusations of corruption in some cases.
Successful hosting of a major international sporting event can also boost a city’s reputation internationally, allowing it to increase its profile as a destination for tourists and business travellers. This was particularly evident for Barcelona, Sydney and London after hosting the Olympics.
While the positive impact on a city’s image is hard to deny, the reality is that some international sporting events can have detrimental effects on local communities. A recent case in point is the exploitation of female athletes by their national basketball federation in Mali, where they were subjected to sexual abuse and harassment. International sporting organisations can do more to hold participating countries accountable and ensure that human rights standards are met, such as by requiring that national federations support whistleblowers.