One World, Real World, Memory and Dream: Shadows of the Past and Images of the Future in Contemporary Asian Sports Internationalisms

摘要

As we all take stock of the real impact of Olympism and the Olympics in China, it is worth remembering how much, as yet, it has been Olympics and Olympism, and not professional team sports, that have heretofore oriented China to global sports and established its place there. The Beijing games notwithstanding, it is the prospect of a place in team sports that is the new horizon for China. Japan, meanwhile, more established than China in both, has a strong position especially in international baseball but also has everything to lose there. Looking at Olympic baseball in particular, the fault lines led on-field incidents to become touchstones of national triumph, tragedy and destiny, character, capacity and prospects. And different incidents mattered for different reasons for different audiences, in China, Korea, Japan, and the US. We will consider player and public reactions to Olympic results and controversies, and player and public engagement with the 2009 World Baseball Classic. What matters most to whom, in which relationships? The Olympic baseball tournament and the future of baseball in the Olympics are addressed here in connection to the World Baseball Classic, 2006 and 2009, and Nippon Professional Baseball's participation there, on field and off.View full textDownload full textRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2010.504591