Sport w budowaniu regionów – przypadek Azji Wschodniej

Traditionally, sports have served as a medium for individuals to express their identities and foster a sense of belonging to the imagined communities they represent. Additionally, sports often act as a platform for both inter – and intra-regional rivalry and stratification, as seen in events such as the Asian Games, African Games, Pan American Games, and European Games. In the 20th century, the interplay between sports, politics, and diplomacy intensified. International sports have become increasingly regionalised, reinforcing the concept of regionalism. International sports organisations and competitions can also play a role in fostering regional identities. This article explores the relationship between sports and region-building in an interregional context, with a particular focus on East Asia. On a global scale, sports reflect regions as more or less coherent social constructs. As a geographic and functional arena, East Asia has hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games – from Tokyo 1964 to Beijing 2022 – leaving a significant infrastructural legacy. In addition, East Asia has developed its own region-specific sporting competitions. This raises a critical question: has international (regional) sport served as a driver for region-building in East Asia, or is it merely a vehicle for business and the continuation of power politics? Or is the contradiction between them only illusory?