The Olympics in Asia: Gold, Glory and Geopolitics

Against all odds, and after much compromise,  the Tokyo Olympic Games are set to go ahead this summer.  With no foreign fans and most spectators banned, it's certainly not the event  Japan would have wanted. 

In this episode we’ll assess the impact and significance of past Olympics in the Asian region, as well as what this summer’s event may mean for Japan. Previous Olympics in Asia have often held huge symbolic importance - from Japan's post WWII 'coming out' Games in 1964, right up until most recently in 2008, when a newly powerful and confident China hosted the Beijing games. 

Indeed, throughout recent history, hosting the Games has been a chance for countries to not just show off their sporting prowess, but also to demonstrate their cultural and economic power,  and to shape powerful narratives about themselves both on the global and domestic stage. 

Joining us this week is the man who literally wrote the book on the politics of sport in Asia - Victor Cha, currently the Senior Vice President and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and author of ‘Beyond the Final Score’.

Our other guest is the University of Birmingham's Shushu Chen, an expert in sport policy and management who has published extensively on the legacies of various Games. 

As ever - you can find out more on our website, www.asiamatterspod.com