Make me proud! Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games and its effect on national pride of young Singaporeans

Abstract

Politicians and sports organizations have often relied on economic benefits to justify their decisions in hosting major sports events in their countries. Consequently, there are comparatively few studies on the non-economic benefits of hosting major sports events. The purpose of this research is to determine whether there is any change in the level of national pride in the hosting of the Youth Olympics Games held recently in Singapore in 2010. Two separate surveys were conducted among students from a tertiary education institution in Singapore two months prior to, and after, the event. Results showed a significant increase in the level of national pride. Specifically, the increases in the level of national pride were more pronounced among males and those who were more involved in sports. The results concur with previous studies that have reported an increase in national pride following the hosting of a major sports event. As this is a case study focusing on the Youth Olympic Games, which arguably is on a distinctly smaller scale compared to the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup, future research needs to be conducted on other major sports events to determine the generalizability of the findings.

Do the Youth Olympic Games promote Olympism? Analysing a mission (im)possible from a local youth perspective

“…To our best knowledge, special attention to the local youth was paid solely by Leng, Kuo, Baysa-Pee, and Tay (2014) and Götzel (2013). Using the YOG in Singapore in 2010, Leng et al (2014) focused on the change in national pride on the part of the local youth community by surveying Singaporeans two months prior to and three months after the YOG 2010. Götzel (2013) analysed the perception of the Culture and Education Programme among school pupils participating in an initiative called "World Mile Project" (WMP) on the occasion of the YOG 2012 in Innsbruck.…”

The Role of Social Influence in Purchasing Sports Apparel

“…Among male consumers, social influence is also more likely to have a larger effect through informational influence. Earlier studies have indicated that males are more likely to be highly involved in sports (Leng et al 2014, Denham 2010, Scheerder et al 2011. As such, similar to the above arguments, male consumers are more likely to be concerned on the enhancement of sport performance by the sports product and are thus more likely to seek information on the brands and products.…”

Body Image, Physical Activity and Sport Involvement: A Study on Gender Differences

“…Earlier studies have found that sport involvement can affect sports consumption behaviour (Chew & Leng, 2014). In addition, given the gendered nature of sport, the level of sport involvement is generally higher among males (Leng, Kuo, Baysa-Pee, & Tay, 2014).…”