Editorial
Authors: Saunders John 
Published: November 2021

It was the Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan who first introduced the term
‘global village’ into the lexicon, almost fifty years ago. He was referring to the
phenomenon of global interconnectedness of which we are all too aware today. At that
time, we were witnessing the world just opening up. In 1946, British Airways had
commenced a twice weekly service from London to New York. The flight involved one
or two touch downs en-route and took a scheduled 19 hours and 45 minutes. By the time
McLuhan had published his book “Understanding media; the extensions of man”, there
were regular services by jet around the globe. London to Sydney was travelled in just
under 35 hours. Moving forward to a time immediately pre-covid, there were over 30
non-stop flights a day in each direction between London and New York. The travel time
from London to Sydney had been cut by a third, to slightly under 22 hours, with just one
touchdown en-route. The world has well and truly ‘opened up’. No place is unreachable
by regular services. But that is just one part of the picture. In 1962, the very first live
television pictures were transmitted across the Atlantic, via satellite. It was a time when
sports’ fans would tune in besides a crackling radio set to hear commentary of their
favourite game relayed from the other side of the world.

Today of course, not only can we watch a live telecast of the Olympic Games in the
comfort of our own homes wherever the games are being held, but we can pick up a
telephone and talk face to face with friends and relatives in real time, wherever they
may be in the world. To today’s generation – generation Z – this does not seem in the
least bit remarkable. Indeed, they have been nicknamed ‘the connected generation’
precisely because such a degree of human interconnectedness no longer seems worth
commenting on. The media technology and the transport advances that underpin this
level of connectedness, have become taken for granted assumptions to them. This is why
the global events of 2020 and the associated public health related reactions, have proved
to be so remarkable to them. It is mass travel and the closeness and variety of human
contact in day-to-day interactions, that have provided the breeding ground for the
pandemic. Consequently, moving around and sharing close proximity with many
strangers, have been the activities that have had to be curbed, as the initial primary
means to manage the spread of the virus. This has caused hardship to many, either
through the loss of a job and the associated income or, the lengthy enforced separation
from family and friends – for the many who find themselves living and working far
removed from their original home.

McLuhan’s powerful metaphor was ahead of its time. His thoughts were centred
around media and electronic communications well prior to the notion of a ‘physical’
pandemic, which today has provided an equally potent image of how all of our fortunes
have become intertwined, no matter where we sit in the world. Yet it is this event which
seems paradoxically to have for the first time forced us to consider more closely the path
of progress pursued over the last half century. It is as if we are experiencing for the first
time the unleashing of powerful and competing forces, which are both centripetal and
centrifugal. On the one hand we are in a world where we have a World Health
Organisation. This is a body which has acted as a global force, first declaring the
pandemic and subsequently acting in response to it as a part of its brief for international
public health. It has brought the world’s scientists and global health professionals
together to accelerate the research and development process and develop new norms and
standards to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and help care for those
affected.

At the same time, we have been witnessing nations retreating from each other and
closing their borders in order to restrict the interaction of their citizens with those from
other nations around the world. We have perceived that danger and risk are increased
by international travel and human to human interaction. As a result, increasingly
communication has been carried out from the safety and comfort of one’s own home,
with electronic media taking the place of personal interaction in the real world. The
change to the media dominated world, foreseen by McLuhan a half century ago, has
been hastened and consolidated by the threats posed by Covid 19. Real time interactions
can be conducted more safely and more economically by means of the global reach of
the internet and the ever-enhanced technologies that are being offered to facilitate that.
Yet at a geopolitical level prior to Covid 19, the processes of globalism and nationalism
were already being recognised as competing forces. In many countries, tensions have
emerged between those who are benefitting from the opportunities presented by the
development of free trade between countries and those who are invested in more
traditional ventures, set in their own nations and communities. The emerging
beneficiaries have become characterised as the global elites. Their demographic profile
is one associated with youth, education and progressive social ideas. However, they are
counter-balanced by those who, rather than opportunities, have experienced threats from
the disruptions and turbulence around them. Among the ideas challenged, have been the
expected certainties of employment, social values and the security with which many
grew up. Industries which have been the lifeblood of their communities are facing
extinction and even the security of housing and a roof over the heads of self and family
may be under threat. In such circumstances, some people may see waves of new
immigrants, technology, and changing social values as being tides which need to be
turned back. Their profile is characterised by a demographic less equipped to face such
changes - the more mature, less well educated and less mobile. Yet this tension appears
to be creating something more than just the latest version of the generational divide. The
recent clashes between Republicans and Democrats in the US have provided a very
potent example of these societal stresses. The US has itself exported some of these
arenas of conflict to the rest of the world. Black lives Matter and #Me too, are social
movements with their foundation in the US which have found their way far beyond the
immediate contexts which gave them birth. In the different national settings where these
various tensions have emerged, they have been characterised through labels such as left
and right, progressive and traditional, the ‘haves’ versus the ‘have nots’ etc. Yet
common to all of this growing competitiveness between ideologies and values is a
common thread. The common thread lies in the notion of competition itself. It finds
itself expressed most potently in the spread and adoption of ideas based on what has
been termed the neoliberal values of the free market.

These values have become ingrained in the language and concepts we employ every
day. Thus, everything has a price and ultimately the price can be represented by a dollar
value. We see this process of commodification around us on a daily basis. Sports studies’
scholars have long drawn attention to its continuing growth in the world of sport,
especially in situations when it overwhelms the human characteristics of the athletes
who are at the very heart of sport. When the dollar value of the athlete and their
performance becomes more important than the individual and the game, then we find
ourselves at the heart of some of the core problems reported today. It is at the point
where sport changes from an experience, where the athletes develop themselves and
become more complete persons experiencing positive and enriching interactions with
fellow athletes, to an environment where young athletes experience stress and mental
and physical ill health as result of their experiences. Those who are supremely talented
(and lucky?) are rewarded with fabulous riches. Others can find themselves cast out on
the scrap heap as a result of an unfair selection process or just the misfortune of injury.
Sport as always, has proved to be a mirror of life in reflecting this process in the world
at large, highlighting the heights that can be climbed by the fortunate as well as the
depths that can be plumbed by the ill-fated.

Advocates of the free-market approach will point to the opportunities it can offer.
Figures can show that in a period of capitalist organised economies, there has been an
unprecedented reduction in the amount of poverty in the world. Despite rapid growth in
populations, there has been some extraordinary progress in lifting people out of extreme
poverty. Between 1990 and 2010, the numbers in poverty fell by half as a share of the
total population in developing countries, from 43% to 21%—a reduction of almost 1
billion people (The Economist Leader, June 1st, 2013). Nonetheless the critics of
capitalism will continue to point to an increasing gap between the haves and don’t haves
and specifically a decline in the ‘middle classes’, which have for so long provided the
backbone of stable democratic societies.

This delicate balance between retreating into our own boundaries as a means to
manage the pandemic and resuming open borders to prevent economic damage to those
whose businesses and employment depend upon the continuing movement of people
and goods, is one which is being agonised over at this time in liberal democratic societies
around the world. The experience of the pandemic has varied between countries, not
solely because of the strategies adopted by politicians, but also because of the current
health systems and varying social and economic conditions of life in different parts of
the world. For many of us, the crises and social disturbances noted above have been
played out on our television screens and websites. Increasingly it seems that we have
been consuming our life experiences in a world dominated by our screens and sheltered
from the real messiness of life. Meanwhile, in those countries with a choice, the debate
has been between public health concerns and economic health concerns. Some have
argued that the two are not totally independent of each other, while others have argued
that the extent to which they are seen as interrelated lies in the extent to which life’s
values have themselves become commodified. Others have pointed to the mental health
problems experienced by people of all ages as a result of being confined for long periods
of time within limited spaces and experiencing few chances to meet with others outside
their immediate household. Still others have experienced different conditions – such as
the chance to work from home in a comfortable environment and be freed from the
drudgery of commuting in crowded traffic or public transport.

So, at a national/communal level as well as at an individual level, this international
crisis has exposed people to different decisions. It has offered, for many, a chance to
recalibrate their lives. Those who have the resources, are leaving the confines of the big
capital cities and seeking a healthier and less turbulent existence in quieter urban centres.
For those of us in what can be loosely termed ‘an information industry’, today’s work
practices are already an age away from what they were in pre-pandemic times. Yet
again, a clear split is evident. The notion of ‘essential industries’ has been reclassified.
The delivery of goods, the facilitation of necessary purchase such as food; these and
other tasks have acquired a new significance which has enhanced the value of those who
deliver these services. However, for those whose tasks can be handled via the internet
or offloaded to other anonymous beings a readjustment of a different kind is occurring.
So to the future - for those who have suffered ill-health and lost loved ones, the
pandemic only reinforces the human priority. Health and well-being trumps economic
health and wealth where choices can be made. The closeness of human contact has been
reinforced by the tales of families who have been deprived of the touch of their loved
ones, many of whom still don’t know when that opportunity will be offered again. When
writing our editorial, a year ago, I little expected to be still pursuing a Covid related
theme today. Yet where once we were expecting to look back on this time as a minor
hiccough, with normal service being resumed sometime last year, it has not turned out
to be that way. Rather, it seems that we have been offered a major reset opportunity in
the way in which we continue to progress our future as humans. The question is, will
we be bold enough to see the opportunity and embrace a healthier more equitable more
locally responsible lifestyle or, will we revert to a style of ‘progress’ where powerful
countries, organisations and individuals continue to amass increased amounts of wealth
and influence and become increasingly less responsive to the needs of individuals in the
throng below.

Of course, any retreat from globalisation as it has evolved to date, will involve
disruption of a different kind, which will inevitably lead to pain for some. It seems
inevitable that any change and consequent progress is going to involve winners and
losers. Already airline companies and the travel industry are putting pressure on
governments to “get back to normal” i.e. where things were previously. Yet, in the
shadow of widespread support for climate activism and the extinction rebellion
movement, reports have emerged that since the lockdowns air pollution has dropped
dramatically around the world – a finding that clearly offers benefits to all our
population. In a similar vein the impossibility of overseas air travel in Australia has
resulted in a major increase in local tourism, where more inhabitants are discovering the
pleasures of their own nation. The transfer of their tourist and holiday dollars from
overseas to local tourist providers has produced at one level a traditional zero-sum
outcome, but it has also been accompanied by a growing appreciation of local citizens
for the wonders of their own land and understanding of the lives of their fellow citizens
as well as massive savings in foregone air travel. Continuing to define life in terms of
competition for limited resources will inevitably result in an ever-continuing run of
zero-sum games. Looking beyond the prism of competition and personal reward has the
potential to add to what Michael Sandel (2020) has termed ‘the common good’. Does
the possibility of a reset, offer the opportunity to recalibrate our views of effort and
reward to go beyond a dollar value and include this important dimension?

How has sport been experiencing the pandemic and are there chances for a reset
here? An opinion piece from Peter Horton in this edition, has highlighted the growing
disconnect of professional sport at the highest level from the communities that gave
them birth. Is this just another example of the outcome of unrestrained
commodification? Professional sport has suffered in the pandemic with the cancelling
of fixtures and the enforced absence of crowds. Yet it has shown remarkable resilience.
Sport science staff may have been reduced alongside all the auxiliary workers who go
to make up the total support staff on match days and other times. Crowds have been
absent, but the game has gone on. Players have still been able to play and receive the
support they have become used to from trainers, physiotherapists and analysts, although
for the moment there may be fewer of them. Fans have had to rely on electronic media
to watch their favourites in action– but perhaps that has just encouraged the continuing
spread of support now possible through technology which is no longer dependent on
personal attendance through the turnstile. Perhaps for those committed to the watching
of live sport in the outdoors, this might offer a chance for more attention to be paid to
sport at local and community levels. Might the local villagers be encouraged to
interrelate with their hometown heroes, rather than the million-dollar entertainers
brought in from afar by the big city clubs? To return to the village analogy and the
tensions between global and local, could it be that the social structure of the village has
become maladapted to the reality of globalisation? If we wish to retain the traditional
values of village life, is returning to our village a necessary strategy? If, however we see
that today the benefits and advantages lie in functioning as one single global community,
then perhaps we need to do some serious thinking as to how that community can
function more effectively for all of its members and not just its ‘elites’. As indicated
earlier, sport has always been a reflection of our society. Whichever way our
communities decide to progress, sport will have a place at their heart and sport scholars
will have a place in critically reflecting the nature of the society we are building.

It is on such a note that I am pleased to introduce the content of volume 43:1 to you.
We start with a reminder from Hoyoon Jung of the importance of considering the
richness provided by a deep analysis of context, when attempting to evaluate and
compare outcomes for similar events. He examines the concept of nation building
through sport, an outcome that has been frequently attributed to the conduct of
successful events. In particular, he examines this outcome in the context of the
experiences of South Africa and Brazil as hosts of world sporting events. The mega
sporting event that both shared was the FIFA world cup, in 2010 and 2014 respectively.
Additional information could be gained by looking backwards to the 1995 Rugby World
Cup in the case of South Africa and forward to the 2016 Olympics with regard to Brazil.
Differentiating the settings in terms of timing as well as in the makeup of the respective
local cultures, has led Jung to conclude that a successful outcome for nation building
proved possible in the case of South Africa. However, different settings, both
economically and socially, made it impossible for Brazil to replicate the South African
experience. From a globally oriented perspective to a more local one, our second paper
by Rafal Gotowski and Marta Anna Zurawak examines the growth and development,
with regard to both participation and performance, of a more localised activity in Poland
- the Nordic walking marathon. Their analysis showed that this is a locally relevant
activity that is meeting the health-related exercise needs of an increasing number of
people in the middle and later years, including women. It is proving particularly
beneficial as an activity due to its ability to offer a high level of intensity while reducing
the impact - particularly on the knees.

The article by Petr Vlček, Richard Bailey, Jana Vašíčková XXABSTRACT Claude Scheuer is also
concerned with health promoting physical activity. Their focus however is on how the
necessary habit of regular and relevant physical activity is currently being introduced to
the younger generation in European schools through the various physical education
curricula. They conclude that physical education lessons, as they are currently being
conducted, are not providing the needed 50% minimum threshold of moderate to
vigorous physical activity. They go further, to suggest that in reality, depending on the
physical education curriculum to provide the necessary quantum of activity within the
child’s week, is going to be a flawed vision, given the instructional and other objectives
they are also expected to achieve. They suggest implementing instead an ‘Active
Schools’ concept, where the PE lessons are augmented by other school-based contexts
within a whole school programme of health enhancing physical activity for children.
Finally, we step back to the global and international context and the current Pandemic.
Eric Burhaein, Nevzt Demirci, Carla Cristina Vieira Lourenco, Zsolt Nemeth and
Diajeng Tyas Pinru Phytanza have collaborated as a concerned group of physical
educators to provide an important international position statement which addresses the
role which structured and systematic physical activity should assume in the current
crisis.

This edition then concludes with two brief contributions. The first is an opinion
piece by Peter Horton which provides a professional and scholarly reaction to the recent
attempt by a group of European football club owners to challenge the global football
community and establish a self-governing and exclusive European Super League. It is
an event that has created great alarm and consternation in the world of football. Horton
reflects the outrage expressed by that community and concludes:
While recognising the benefits accruing from well managed professionalism, the
essential conflict between the values of sport and the values of market capitalism will
continue to simmer below the surface wherever sport is commodified rather than
practised for more ‘intrinsic’ reasons.
We conclude however on a more celebratory note. We are pleased to acknowledge
the recognition achieved by one of the members of our International Review Board. The
career and achievements of Professor John Wang – a local ‘scholar’- have been
recognised in his being appointed as the foundation E.W. Barker Professor in Physical
Education and Sport at the Nanyang Technological University. This is a well-deserved
honour and one that reflects the growing stature of the Singapore Physical Education
and Sports Science community within the world of International Sport Studies.

John Saunders

Brisbane, June 2021