Introduction
Most academics and researchers have concentrated on the detrimental repercussions of colonialism, such as deforestation and the deterioration of indigenous culture. The extension of British civilization, however, to other regions of the world helped the colonies' colonial development. This study makes the claim that colonization caused the spread of modern sports to different colonial colonies. This essay discusses the colonies of Australia, New Zealand, and India.
Australia
The British Empire, which grew as a result of urbanization, industrialisation, and colonial expansion, dominated the world during the 19th century. The nation gained unequaled military might, economic might, and cultural sway thanks to this hegemonic dominance (Gupta, 2009). The modern sports system as people knows it today is as a result of diffusion of the British sporting system which brought uniformity and standardization to sports all across the world.To start with, the settlers in Australia adopted major British sports in the colony so that it would remind them of their culture back at home. Due to the difference between the two countries, the settles in Australia wanted something to remind them of their motherland and sports were the surest way to do that since they just had to standardize the sporting events in the colony and with that, they would feel connected to their country (Gupta, 2009). Furthermore, sporting was a sign of masculinity for the settlers, and therefore they wanted to feel like real men. A sport such as rugby uses a lot of physical energy and therefore by engaging in them, one is likely to have an elevated perception of masculinity. Besides, sports were used as a way of measuring the progress of settlers since if they actively participated in sports, it was an illustration that their bodies had acclimatized well to the country’s environment (McEwan et al., 2010). This facilitated its embrace by all the settlers, and with time, Australians develop their football code that borrowed greatly from the British sporting system. Cricket was also diffused into the country through the same process and using similar motivations, and this would not have been possible in the absence of colonization (Andreff, 2008). Furthermore, tennis diffused from Britain to Australia leading to this sport’s globalization. Therefore, British colonization contributed to the diffusion of sports such as cricket and football in Australia.
New Zealand
The sports industry in New Zealand largely reflects the British sports such as cricket, football, and netball. For instance, cricket developed in the country as a way for various provinces to maintain cooperation and so that settlers would feel connected to each other (Gupta, 2009). Besides, cricket was linked to higher social and political ideals, and therefore the residents viewed it as a way to feel important and powerful in society. Thus, with time, the New Zealand Citizens started adopting cricket as a sporting activity, and today, it is cherished as the National Summer sport in the Country (Brown,2014). Besides, colonization greatly influenced the development of Rugby Union in New Zealand since it exposed the citizens of New Zealand to the rules of the game and it was later ingrained in the New Zealand sports system. Before the arrival of the settlers, the Maori of New Zealand had been playing a game similar to rugby, and upon the settler’s arrival, the Maori adapted quickly to the game (Smart et al., 2013). This provided a new avenue for the settlers and the Maori to bond and connected, and the Maori integrated most of Britain’s Rugby rules hence modernizing the sport to what it is today. Rugby is one of the most celebrated sports in New Zealand, and this would not have been possible without colonization (Nauright, 2012). Thus, New Zealand’s colonization by Britain contributed to sports diffusion in the country.
India
In India, sports were introduced by colonialists ruling class, and they viewed as a way to illustrate their affluence and power over the settlers and the residents. The sport was reserved for the elites and was viewed as a mechanism to advance British lifestyle and a way to connect with the local dignitaries. With time, sports became a medium of expressing imperialists superiority over the indigenous culture (Gupta, 2009). Thus, the ruling class introduced cricket and field hockey in the country while the settler community introduced soccer into the country. Given that India won the Cricket World Cup 2011, it is enough evidence that the sport introduced into the country in the 18th century continues to influence the country's sports industry (Andreff, 2008). Therefore, British colonization of India diffused various sports to the country, and this would not have been possible in its absence.
Conclusion
To sum up, this paper has succinctly illustrated that colonization led to the diffusion of modern sports to various colonial outposts. Though colonization led to exploitation of the indigenous people, it also contributed to the social development of the colonies and the effects of those developments continue to shape the sports in the former British colonies. For instance, sports in Australia, New Zealand, and India were greatly influenced by sports played in Britain and the global outlook they have today is as a result of colonization.
References
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Brown, D. (2014). Race, colonization and the NFL draft: A fanonian analysis of the interviewing of black NFL prospects. Race in American sports: Essays, 254-266.
Gupta, A. (2009). The globalization of sports, the rise of non-Western nations, and the impact on international sporting events. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 26(12), 1779-1790.
McEwan, B., Campbell, M., & Swain, D. (2010). New Zealand culture of intoxication: Local and global influences. New Zealand Sociology, 25(2), 15.
Nauright, J. (Ed.). (2012). Sports around the World: History, Culture, and Practice [4 volumes]: History, Culture, and Practice. Abc-Clio.
Smart, N. A., Williams, A. D., Levinger, I., Selig, S., Howden, E., Coombes, J. S., & Fassett, R. G. (2013). Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) position statement on exercise and chronic kidney disease. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 16(5), 406-411.
