In 1987 the ban on sporting exchanges between Taiwan and China was lifted. However, the subsequent growing power of China on the world's sports stage has had repercussions within Taiwan. Government and people now have an ambivalent attitude - a mixture of pride and suspicion - towards their...

'Dancing Beijing' and 'Join in London' are the official emblems of the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. The 'Dancing Beijing' is a static image; 'Join in London' is a dynamic image. Both emblems represent core cultural values of two civilizations. The former epitomizes the Eastern way of thinking and...

In accordance to Kim Il-sung's Juche philosophy that advocates independence, self-reliance and self-sufficiency, North Korea continues to remain one of the most reclusive and least globalised countries in the world. The country's response to the ongoing globalisation of sport, however, is less...

This special issue examines the social, political impact of the Olympic Games after Beijing 2008 on the Pacific Rim. The issue consists of 12 papers. The first paper examines China's performance in staging the Games. The second article provides an overview of Chinese sports policy and practice, the ...

The role of the family as a social system in socializing sportsmen into sports is documented. A sample of 200 sportsmen in different sports and who have participated at higher levels was randomly selected. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data. The analysis showed that a...

More than six decades after the end of the Second World War, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) still face each other across the highly fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where the Cold War proved more frigid than anywhere else in the world. In both...

Television coverage of the Beijing Olympics was estimated to reach 70% of the world's population; London reached even more. The Olympic Games - in particular the opening ceremonies and the national medal contest - are providing global citizens with a common talking point about political systems,...

As host to the world's largest sporting event, Athens hoped to revise its image in the eyes of the world by securing the social, economic, environmental, cultural and sporting recognition appropriate to a modern metropolis. This was not to be. Some hopes remained unfulfilled aspirations. The...

The contribution of Robert Owen and David Stow to the initiation and development of physical education in Scotland during the 19th century is examined. These men of different nationalities, different beliefs and different social backgrounds were directly responsible for placing physical education...

From 1850-1900 the colony of Queensland experienced significant growth resulting from the opening up of the rich inland pastoral lands, and the discoveries of gold and other minerals in the central and northern parts of the colony. Towns, industries, roads, railways, ports and communication...