<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Sport is often utilized as a tool by governments and nation-states in building a favorable international image, seeking external political legitimacy, and strengthening nation-building endeavors across borders. Given its universal appeal, sport is often perceived as a valuable soft power asset for conveying positive messages to foreign publics. Against this backdrop, the present study aims to introduce the sports diplomacy approach of Hungary, specifically focusing on the state-led utilization of sport in public diplomacy under the recent government of Viktor Orbán (2010–2020). With the institutionalization of sport in public diplomacy, Hungary has become a pioneering country in Central and Eastern Europe that can provide an example for other nation-states in the region. The Hungarian government’s sports diplomacy ambitions have not been curbed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the country continues to invest large amounts of public funding in attracting and organizing international sporting competitions. Hosting the Summer Olympic Games in Budapest remains the ultimate goal of the current government’s sports diplomacy strategy, which focuses on elite sport.</p>
</abstract>

Sport is often utilized as a tool by governments and nation-states in building a favorable international image, seeking external political legitimacy, and strengthening nation-building endeavors across borders. Given its universal appeal, sport is often perceived as a valuable soft power asset for conveying positive messages to foreign publics. Against this backdrop, the present study aims to introduce the sports diplomacy approach of Hungary, specifically focusing on the state-led utilization of sport in public diplomacy under the recent government of Viktor Orbán (2010–2020). With the institutionalization of sport in public diplomacy, Hungary has become a pioneering country in Central and Eastern Europe that can provide an example for other nation-states in the region. The Hungarian government’s sports diplomacy ambitions have not been curbed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the country continues to invest large amounts of public funding in attracting and organizing international sporting competitions. Hosting the Summer Olympic Games in Budapest remains the ultimate goal of the current government’s sports diplomacy strategy, which focuses on elite sport.

Sport as a tool for public diplomacy in Hungary

Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Sport as a tool for public diplomacy in Hungary"}

Sport is often utilized as a tool by governments and nation-states in building a favorable international image, seeking external political legitimacy, and...

Sport as a tool for public diplomacy in Hungary

Data publikacji: 30 kwi 2021

Zakres stron: 39 - 49

Otrzymano: 19 gru 2020

Przyjęty: 22 mar 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pcssr-2021-0012

Słowa kluczowe
Hungary, sports diplomacy, public diplomacy, Viktor Orbán, COVID-19

© 2021 Bence Garamvölgyi et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Sport as a tool for public diplomacy in Hungary

Data publikacji: 30 kwi 2021

Zakres stron: 39 - 49

Otrzymano: 19 gru 2020

Przyjęty: 22 mar 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pcssr-2021-0012

Słowa kluczoweHungary, sports diplomacy, public diplomacy, Viktor Orbán, COVID-19

© 2021 Bence Garamvölgyi et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Słowa kluczowe
Hungary, sports diplomacy, public diplomacy, Viktor Orbán, COVID-19