On 1 April, NEOMA and IRIS hosted the second Geo-economic and Geopolitical Encounters. Discussion focussed on the role of sport in the economy and in international relations. Here we look back at the three main events of the morning.

9.30 a.m. / Sport as a major geo-economic issue

This round table shone the spotlight on a paradox: sport is a powerful economic and social driving force, yet it suffers from a lack of structural and financial support.

“France has a very dynamic community life, yet sport is poorly recognised and receives the lowest budget from the State,” pointed out Emmanuelle Bonnet-Oulaldj, General Secretary of ID Orizon, administrator of the CNOSF and of the National Sports Agency.

Virgile Caillet emphasised the universal and unifying nature of sport, expressing surprise at the lack of political ambition to develop this sector. “Let’s accept that sport is essential in schools and let’s allow local businesses to fund sports equipment for schools or local communities.” Virgile CAILLET is Managing Director of UNION Sport & Cycle.

“The Olympic Games were a unique opportunity, a fantastic shop window. London benefited from them for 10 years, with an impact in terms of traffic. We also showed that a circular economy was possible” François GAY-BELLILE is President and General Manager of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners France.

Malik Hamadache admitted that “Sportspeople cannot understand the cuts to their budgets in both the public and private sectors. Despite the success of the Olympics, this sector has got poorer! It is important to reassess the value of sport and what it gives to society.” Malik HAMADACHE is President of Provale and Vice –President of the FNASS. 

11.00 a.m. / The geopolitics of sport: a new way of understanding the world

The second round table focussed on the role of sport in international diplomacy and its use as a soft power tool.

Vincent Roger deplored the administrative complexity that held back sustainable practices in sport. “Sport is a social and all-encompassing thing. It reaches all levels of society, so it is used by certain actors to extend their influence. Sport is an instrument of power.” Vincent Roger is the Ministerial Delegate responsible for the great national cause of 2024.

Carole Gomez described sport as an indicator of national power and a central phenomenon in international relations. “Sport is a mass phenomenon, an indicator of national power, so sport is necessarily at the heart of international life.” Carole GOMEZ, specialist researcher in the sociology and geopolitics of sport, University of Lausanne.

Anne-Laure Bonnet spoke of the capacity of sport to build bridges between nations, promoting peace and opening up dialogue. “I am going to talk about the peace that sport brings: it creates links and bridges, sport opens up discussion.” Anne-Laure BONNET is a sports journalist and French television presenter.

Samuel Ducroquet emphasised the importance of diplomats taking an interest in the area of sport, in light of the increasingly important role it plays in democracy. “Sport is universal and unifying, but high-ranking officials do not see it as serious. Sport does not receive the recognition commensurate with what it can bring to society.” Samuel DUCROQUET is an ambassador for sport at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

12.15 p.m. / Talk by Pascal Boniface, Director of IRIS 

Pascal Boniface, Director of IRIS, returned to the role of sport in international relations, and how it has developed. 

The geopolitical history of sport. “When Pierre de Coubertin reinvented the Olympic Games, he obviously had a geopolitical objective: to contribute to the pacification of international relations… but he didn’t dare say so and even claimed that sport and politics should not be mixed.” 

Sport and soft power. “For a very long time, we were doing geopolitics in sport without realising… Now, it is openly acknowledged and stated: sport is an integral part of the world theatre in which actors must invest to spread their cultural and political influence”. “Sport is a major instrument of soft power, at least as important as culture… but its full value to society and as a vehicle of international influence is not always recognised.”

The values of sport. “Sport remains an opening towards other people… It’s often the first image a child will have of a foreign person: a foreign sportsperson they admire without worrying about their political or religious convictions.” “Although racism may exist in sport, it is fought against a lot more actively than in other social spheres… because we need each other to play together.”

This theme came about quite naturally, as it is right at the point where the expertise of our two institutions comes together:

IRIS has been a forerunner in reflection on the geopolitics of sport for over 20 years, a top-level contributor at European level and a renowned actor in professional training in geopolitics.

At NEOMA, we support sports professionals who are retraining for the world of management and entrepreneurship. Since 2020 we have trained almost 300 sportspeople, via our partnership with Provale and the AJPH (Association of Professional Handball Players).