Towards a Plural Olympic Studies Agenda: Contesting Orientalism Through Arab Sport Narratives

<p dir="ltr">This paper critically explores the Arab world’s engagement with the Olympic Movement and global sport through a postcolonial and cultural lens. It examines how colonial legacies shaped early sport structures in North Africa and the Middle East, and how these were later r...

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التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Mahfoud Amara (7236599) (author)
منشور في: 2025
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author Mahfoud Amara (7236599)
author_facet Mahfoud Amara (7236599)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Mahfoud Amara (7236599)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-08-09T03:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1080/27690148.2025.2530592
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Towards_a_Plural_Olympic_Studies_Agenda_Contesting_Orientalism_Through_Arab_Sport_Narratives/31240546
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Health sciences
Sports science and exercise
Language, communication and culture
Cultural studies
Olympic movement
postcolonialism
cultural modernities
Olympic studies
Arab World
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Towards a Plural Olympic Studies Agenda: Contesting Orientalism Through Arab Sport Narratives
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <p dir="ltr">This paper critically explores the Arab world’s engagement with the Olympic Movement and global sport through a postcolonial and cultural lens. It examines how colonial legacies shaped early sport structures in North Africa and the Middle East, and how these were later re-appropriated in the service of national identity, Islamic values, and regional solidarity. From the Pan-Arab and Islamic Games to the strategic use of sport mega-events by Gulf states, the paper analyzes how sport has become a vehicle for both political assertion and soft power projection. It challenges dominant Orientalist narratives by foregrounding the agency of Arab athletes, particularly women and diasporic figures, in reshaping global perceptions. The paper argues for a pluralized approach to Olympic and sport studies that recognizes the Arab region not merely as a recipient of global sport models, but as an active contributor to evolving meanings of modernity, inclusion, and international legitimacy.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Asian Journal of Sport History & Culture<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/27690148.2025.2530592" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/27690148.2025.2530592</a></p>
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identifier_str_mv 10.1080/27690148.2025.2530592
network_acronym_str Manara2
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oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/31240546
publishDate 2025
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spelling Towards a Plural Olympic Studies Agenda: Contesting Orientalism Through Arab Sport NarrativesMahfoud Amara (7236599)Health sciencesSports science and exerciseLanguage, communication and cultureCultural studiesOlympic movementpostcolonialismcultural modernitiesOlympic studiesArab World<p dir="ltr">This paper critically explores the Arab world’s engagement with the Olympic Movement and global sport through a postcolonial and cultural lens. It examines how colonial legacies shaped early sport structures in North Africa and the Middle East, and how these were later re-appropriated in the service of national identity, Islamic values, and regional solidarity. From the Pan-Arab and Islamic Games to the strategic use of sport mega-events by Gulf states, the paper analyzes how sport has become a vehicle for both political assertion and soft power projection. It challenges dominant Orientalist narratives by foregrounding the agency of Arab athletes, particularly women and diasporic figures, in reshaping global perceptions. The paper argues for a pluralized approach to Olympic and sport studies that recognizes the Arab region not merely as a recipient of global sport models, but as an active contributor to evolving meanings of modernity, inclusion, and international legitimacy.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Asian Journal of Sport History & Culture<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/27690148.2025.2530592" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/27690148.2025.2530592</a></p>2025-08-09T03:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1080/27690148.2025.2530592https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Towards_a_Plural_Olympic_Studies_Agenda_Contesting_Orientalism_Through_Arab_Sport_Narratives/31240546CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/312405462025-08-09T03:00:00Z
spellingShingle Towards a Plural Olympic Studies Agenda: Contesting Orientalism Through Arab Sport Narratives
Mahfoud Amara (7236599)
Health sciences
Sports science and exercise
Language, communication and culture
Cultural studies
Olympic movement
postcolonialism
cultural modernities
Olympic studies
Arab World
status_str publishedVersion
title Towards a Plural Olympic Studies Agenda: Contesting Orientalism Through Arab Sport Narratives
title_full Towards a Plural Olympic Studies Agenda: Contesting Orientalism Through Arab Sport Narratives
title_fullStr Towards a Plural Olympic Studies Agenda: Contesting Orientalism Through Arab Sport Narratives
title_full_unstemmed Towards a Plural Olympic Studies Agenda: Contesting Orientalism Through Arab Sport Narratives
title_short Towards a Plural Olympic Studies Agenda: Contesting Orientalism Through Arab Sport Narratives
title_sort Towards a Plural Olympic Studies Agenda: Contesting Orientalism Through Arab Sport Narratives
topic Health sciences
Sports science and exercise
Language, communication and culture
Cultural studies
Olympic movement
postcolonialism
cultural modernities
Olympic studies
Arab World