Behind the spectacle of entertainment, sport is a subject with political issues at every level. These issues range from the social, with divisions created along gender and class lines, to the use of sport to pursue diplomatic and statecraft goals. In addition, some sports are positioned and promoted as national events both in public opinion and in the media.

Previously published as a special issue of Sport in Society, this book seeks to explore some aspects of the notion of power in sport in south Asia and among south Asians abroad. The first two essays will deal with the internal societal dimensions of the politics of sport; the next three essays relate to the politics inside the sporting world in the subcontinent and its bridge with the broader arena of the society through the media, while the last five essays relate to the use of sports in statecraft, consensus building and international politics.