The Trend of Naturalization in Sports—Promotes or Prevents Countries’ Participation in Globalization?

Abstract

In the current international sports market, naturalization has become increasingly popular. Naturalized athletes can be seen frequently in the just-concluded Olympic Games, Winter Olympics, and Asian Cup. In this context, this paper analyzes the effects and impacts of naturalization on countries in globalization mainly through the cases of Qatar, China, and Japan. It finds that naturalization can be both useful and harmful. When it is applied successfully, it can improve countries’ global influence, bring new economic potentialities, and promote cultural inclusiveness. In contrast, failed naturalization would likely cause extreme cultural exclusiveness and tremendous financial losses.