Complicated relationship between sports and national identity : a case study of Malaysia.

• Main Author: Leong, Eu Jin.
• Other Authors: Tan Joo Ean
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Sociology::Communities, classes and races
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/48299
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Sports have evolved into a new form of aesthetic entertainment with the help of technology. Watching a game of live football has never been easier. Sports involving competitions between nation-states not only bring tensions between nations but also give rise to positive patriotism. This paper explores the relationship between sports and national identity in Malaysia. My analysis focuses on whether sports help in strengthening one’s national identity by listing several factors that could complicate this relationship. It poses questions on how the Malaysian supporters perceive themselves and how they make sense of sports when they are supporting their national teams. Using Malaysia as a case study allows us to identify if sports do have a role to play in the construction of national identity, in a developing nation.