When it comes to international sports, there’s nothing like experiencing the roar of the crowd at a World Cup game or hearing the whine of Formula 1 engines as they pass by. We spoke with Duane Penner and Dustin Kaylor of Roadtrips, a luxury sports tour package provider, to learn about some of the most bucket-list-worthy events you can see in person.
With its global reach, unparalleled popularity and foundation of positive values, sport is ideally positioned to contribute to the United Nations’ objectives for development and peace. To raise awareness of this potential, 6 April was declared the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace by the UN General Assembly.
Taking the lead from this recognition, sports organisations can and should demand that their participating nations respect the rights of athletes. This could include safeguarding athlete safety, providing access to whistleblowers and offering redress for complaints, rather than relying on national laws that give repressive regimes impunity.
While some international sports, such as the Olympic Games and the World Championships, are open to all athletes regardless of country, others have a more restricted participation criteria. For example, the European Games is a multisport event along the lines of the Olympics but only open to athletes from European countries. These restrictions can make it difficult for athletes from smaller nations to participate. This can result in the selection of teams from more powerful countries whose athletes are more likely to win medals.