RESEARCH PAPERS

2016

BEST RESEARCH PAPER NOMINATION FOR 2016

Karin Dolphin

Media Portrayals of an Irish Olympian – RONNIE DELANY
RP supervisor: Joseph Maguire

Abstract: Ronald Michael Delany is a former Irish athlete who specialised in middle distance running. He won Gold in the 1500m race in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. His victory is remembered as one of the greatest in Irish Olympic history and came at a time that was very important for the Irish nation. The overall objective of the research was to undertake an analysis of the textual reporting of this unique event in the print media of the time, as portrayed by the Irish and British newspapers. The focus of the analysis relates to a comparison of the reporting of the build up to, during and post the Melbourne win to assess whether there were any biases or differences associated with the reporting dependent on the political bias of the source. To provide a more accurate political and historical frame of reference for the time and to elucidate the political climate surrounding Ireland as an independent sporting state of the world, official correspondence between the International Olympic Committee and Olympic Council of Ireland were consulted from the archives in the Olympic Study Centre, Lausanne, Switzerland. The historical backdrop of the time, highlighted in the IOC correspondence, shows Ireland as being at a delicate juncture in its recent independence. We find that Ronnie Delany and his Olympic achievement were significant in contributing to the emergent sense of Irishness or national pride for an independent and unified Ireland.

Otonye Iworima

Gender Comparison of the Performances of Track and Field Athletes in Nigeria
RP supervisor: Mattia Piffaretti

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the performances of the genders in Track and field over the past 20 years (1995-2015) and discover if there are any reason(s) for any disparity in their performances. Performances were measured (graded, sorted and categorised) by number of medals and finalist in 5 major competitions: Olympic Games, World championship in Athletics, Commonwealth Games, All Africa Games and African championship in Athletics. The International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) scoring table on athletics was also used to compare similar performances. Findings revealed that the female athletes perform better in all aspects. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews were also conducted with 5 coaches, 10 athletes (5 female and 5 male) and 3 administrators to ascertain the reasons for the outperformance of female athletes. From the interviews, it was concluded that the female do better mostly because they start their career earlier, and also listen better than their male counterparts; thereby comprehending and assimilate event techniques easier. Supported/protected by family members more and are more manageable, unequivocally attested by all coaches and sports administrators that were interviewed. It was recommended that there should be better and separate athlete development programmes for both the male and the female athletes in order to maximize their future potentials.

Christine Jennings

Sustainability of Open Water Swimming: From Elite to Mass Participation Events Keywords: Public Health, Risk Management Event Safety, Financial Funding
RP Supervisor: Rolf Schwery

Abstract: The Olympic games is the pinnacle for competitive, elite participation in open water marathon swimming. Yet, ironically, what is more commonly recognized throughout the world are the mass participation swim events and triathlon swims. This study will assess the impact mass participation events and elite participation events have on the development and sustainability of the sport of open water swimming worldwide. A narrative analysis of interviews and questionnaires conducted of athletes, coaches, and race organizers, as well as data collection from academic journals will focus on:

• the development of mass and elite participation events;
• the mutual benefits provided for the promotion of public health;
• and event safety risk management development

Discussion will include examples of successful events which combined mass and elite events as well as future opportunities for sustainability in the sport. Further research will need to be conducted on the mutual financial and marketing benefits of promoting public health in dual elite and mass swims hosted by the International Swimming Federation (FINA). Preliminary findings suggest a huge growth in development opportunities for open water swimming in terms of public health initiatives, increase of funding for future elite events, as well as event safety risk management development.

Junjie Li

Examining the social media strategy of International Federations targeting Chinese fans
RP Supervisor: Björn Walliser

Abstract: The research examines the social media strategy used by International Federations (IFs) to engage Chinese fans on the major Chinese social media platforms Weibo and WeChat. The objective of this research is to identify the best practices of social media strategies established on both platforms and conduct further analysis on the findings regarding fan engagement and content management. A quantitative and qualitative approach was employed to evaluate the presence and performance of the monitored IF’s Chinese social media. The findings show that International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF’s) social media strategies on both platforms are the most successful. The further analysis indicates that ITTF had established coherent strategies between two platforms and achieved satisfactory outcomes. It is recommended that IFs to have an understanding of Chinese social media landscape and Chinese users’ behaviours before establishing a strategy. It is also advised to localise the content management strategy in order to satisfy the Chinese fans’ interests.

Vibhu Malaviya

Racism in Football in Europe – A Study Across England, Spain, Italy and Turkey and UEFA’s response to the same
RP Supervisor: Rolf Schwery

Abstract: The research paper is aimed at studying the history of racism in football in Europe and UEFA’s response in tackling this menace. For the purposes of this paper, the research shall be limited to studying the impact of racism in the England, Spain, Italy and Turkey (with case studies of specific clubs Chelsea FC, Real Madrid, SS Lazio and Fenerbahce). The paper commences with an introduction about the emergence and prevalence of racism in football in Europe. The paper would then move its focus to analysing specific recent instances of racism in the England, Spain, Italy and Turkey. The paper would conclude with a study of the existing framework put in place by UEFA to tackle the issue of racism and its effectiveness and suggest additions/ which might strengthen the framework further to reduce the negative footprint associated with racism in football in Europe.

Manas Rastogi

Governance of Hockey in India, Netherlands and Great Britain
RP Supervisor: Jean-Loup Chappelet

Abstract: This paper is an attempt to find out the difference in the Governance of Hockey in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom as compared to the Governance in India. Through this paper we intend to study, analyze and rate the Governance models of Hockey in India, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom and bring out the key differences in these models. Using the results of this study, we can derive points for improvement and enhancement of the Indian model which would enable Indian Hockey, which has fallen from grace in the past, to regain its lost glory. The process to gain the data was a series of interviews conducted with former players and Hockey administrators to gain insights on how Governance of hockey is done in their countries. From the interviews, we created an arbitratry scale to plot the answers and gauge the different Governance systems. This enabled us to create a yardstick for the performance of these models qualitatively and bring out the main points of difference between these models and at the same time find out the potential points of improvement for Hockey India.

Regula Schweizer

Ideal staffing policies of large multi-sports events
RP Supervisor: Dawn Aquilina

Abstract: This research paper aims to support recruiters in the selection of candidates for senior positions within organising committees of large multi-sport events. The paper examines two questions; firstly which competences, skills and characteristics an organising committee member must have and secondly, how important is diversity for the success of an organising committee. To investigate these questions six experts were interviewed and relevant job offers were analysed. The most important finding is that it is not possible to formulate general rules that are valid crossculturally. There are too many aspects of ensuring as well as assessing the success of a multi-sports event that are related to local circumstances and culture. However, no cultural differences seem to exist when it comes to the most important skills and characteristics of an organising committee member: He or she has to have excellent networking skills, be enthusiastic about the project and be flexible. With respect to diversity it can be stated that it is highly related to the culture of the host nation. There is unanimity that for western countries an OC can only benefit from a good mix in all aspects of diversity.