Foreign Policy Blogs

The Eye of the Sporting Storm

A pretty good case can be made for South Africa representing the epicenter of the sporting universe right now. The country and the world are gearing up for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and while Bafana Bafana just lost rather unceremoniously to Peru, South Africa’s national team had been riding a five-game winning streak, giving hope that the hosts will not flame out egregiously next year. Meanwhile the Proteas, South Africa’s national cricketers, are set to host an Australian national squad they embarrassed on the Aussies home pitches in 2008 with the world number one ranking at stake. Although last year did not go as well as Springbok fans had hoped, given the country’s rather lofty expectations, the national rugby team still claim the title of world champions after their victory in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. South Africa will even be one of the sixteen teams competing in this year’s World Baseball Classic, just as its national team did in  the inaugural WBC in 2006.

 

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  1. [...] Africa wrote an interesting post today on The Eye of the Sporting StormHere’s a quick excerptA pretty good case can be made for South Africa representing the epicenter of the sporting universe right now. The country and the world are gearing up for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and while Bafana Bafana just lost rather unceremoniously to Peru , South Africa’s national team had been riding a five-game winning streak, giving hope that the hosts will not flame out egregiously next year. Meanwhile the Proteas, South Africa’s national cricketers, are set to host an Australian national squad they [...]

  2. [...] Africa wrote an interesting post today on The Eye of the Sporting StormHere’s a quick excerptA pretty good case can be made for South Africa representing the epicenter of the sporting universe right now. The country and the world are gearing up for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and while Bafana Bafana just lost rather unceremoniously to Peru , South Africa’s national team had been riding a five-game winning streak, giving hope that the hosts will not flame out egregiously next year. Meanwhile the Proteas, South Africa’s national cricketers, are set to host an Australian national squad they [...]

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Author

Derek Catsam
Derek Catsam

Derek Catsam is an associate professor of history at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Derek writes about race and politics in the United States and Africa, sports, and terrorism. He is currently working on books on bus boycotts in the United States and South Africa in the 1940s and 1950s, the Freedom Rides, and South African resistance politics in the 1980s. He has lived, worked, and travelled extensively throughout southern Africa. He is also a lifelong sports fan, with the Boston Red Sox as his first true love. He was one of about three dozen people to write books about the 2004 World Champion Red Sox, and the result is Bleeding Red: A Red Sox Fan's Diary of the 2004 Season. He writes about politics, sports, travel, pop culture, and just about anything else that comes to mind.

Areas of Focus:
Africa; Zimbabwe; South Africa; Apartheid

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