The role of sport in post-apartheid South Africa - Nation-building or nationalisation?

Abstract

The potential of sport as a nation-builder in a divided and fragmented society has been the topic and focus of many scholars (Cronin and Mayall 1998, Hargreaves 1986, Jarvie 1994). Since the formation of national sport federations, such as the International Olympic Committee, and the laying of the foundation of international sport, scholars have widely accepted that sport will be inseparable from nationalism and a powerful tool in the hands of politicians (Chandler 1999:138).