SPORTS

Between 2015 and 2024, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia underwent a monumental socio-economic and diplomatic pivot, driven by its ambitious Vision 2030 blueprint. Central to this transformation has been an unprecedented multi-billion-dollar investment in global sports. This paper evaluates Saudi Arabia’s strategic deployment of sports as an instrument of soft power and public diplomacy during this pivotal decade. Utilizing a qualitative case-study methodology framed by Joseph Nye’s conceptualization of soft power, the study investigates the mechanisms through which the Kingdom has sought to reshape its international image, diversify its hydrocarbon-dependent economy, and foster global political goodwill. The analysis reveals a multi-layered approach characterized by the aggressive acquisition of elite foreign clubs, the domestic integration of world-class sporting icons, and the securing of hosting rights for high-profile mega-events. The study finds that while these initiatives have effectively repositioned Saudi Arabia as an indispensable hub in global sports governance, they have also generated a distinct soft power paradox—manifesting as deep international polarization and widespread accusations of "sportswashing." Ultimately, this paper underscores the complexities of state-backed sports diplomacy, demonstrating that while financial capital can swiftly command global attention, translating that presence into enduring cultural attraction remains a contested geopolitical endeavor.

The study was conducted to investigate the sociocultural factor influencing female participation in sports. To make it possible four research questions were raised to guide the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted to accomplish the objectives of the study. The population of the study consists of all 44,699 undergraduate student in Universities in Edo state and the sample size of 300 accessible undergraduate was used for the study. The instrument for data collection was the questionnaire developed by the researcher and was validated by the researcher’s supervisor and two other experts from the Department of Human Kinetics and Sport Science. The reliability coefficient was 0.741 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha Co-efficient. The data collected were analyzed statistically using the statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) software. The study established that participation of women in sports was influenced by several factors. Some women participate in physical sport simply because they loved the game and because they found it exciting and fun. The sampled student across universities in Edo state participated in sport because they hoped that it would improve their lives in terms of keeping healthy and fit and learning especially reproductive health. Other respondents also considered it is a platform for socialization and making new friends. Finally the study recommend that government at all levels should create enabling environment for unrestricted participation of female in sports and its management, government should encourage female participation in sport by providing scholarship and
other incentives to female athletes who excel in any sporting competition and that mass media should organize enlightenment programme that will eliminate all socio-cultural biases against female participation in sporting activities.

This study in its totality is an attempt to investigate the factors influencing female participation in sports among undergraduate students of the University of Benin. The need for this study becomes necessary owing to the fact that despite the health benefits derivable from sports participation, female participation is at the very low level. During the process of carrying out this investigation, five research questions were formulated and tested. 100 copies of questionnaires were administered to respondents. Simple percentage was used to analyze the data collected from the outcome of the research. Among others, the following are the finding of this study:
i. Physiological and anatomical constitution majorly hinders females from participating in sports.
ii. There are health benefits derivable from participating in sports. xii
iii. Female undergraduate students are interested in sports as much as
males. iv. Active and passive sports activities are the two types of activities performed by undergraduate students Based on the result of the study, recommendations were made. It is hoped that sporting activities would be embraced by all female undergraduate students in the future.