Sport, Cultural Identity, and Masculinity

This is the first book to shed light on the nuanced relationship between sports, cultural identity, and masculinity by examining the experiences of male Afghan and Pakistani athletes, within their respective regions and abroad. This book draws on various sociocultural frameworks, such as decolonization theory, to dissect power dynamics, critique the influence of neoliberal policies in contemporary South Asian societies, and unpack the concept of masculinity by challenging widespread yet often unexamined beliefs. Presenting important new material on sports, including cricket and traditional sports like buzkashi, this book investigates the far-reaching impact of key geopolitical events, such as the fall of Kabul in 2021, in order to understand how these pivotal moments reshape the landscape of sports in these countries, from participation rates to the meaning and experience of athletic pursuits, especially for those who have migrated or are considering migration. It also offers a critical analysis of how Western media narratives often oversimplify and homogenize the representations of Pakistani and Afghan athletes, and challenges stereotypes that contribute to systemic issues such as inequities and violence against Afghan and Pakistani athletes in the Global North and against Afghan athletes in Pakistan. Going beyond conventional discussions by examining sports as not only a cultural but also a geopolitical battleground, this book is essential reading for any advanced student, researcher, or policymaker with an interest in the sociology of sport, postcolonial studies, anthropology, religious studies, security studies, migration, or South Asian studies.

Umer Hussain is an assistant professor at Missouri State University, USA. His research areas include exploring the intersection of ethnicity, religion, and gender in sports. Hussain has more than nine years of experience in academia and practice. Dr. Hussain's work has been published in journals such as the European Sport Management Quarterly, International Review of Sociology of Sport, Sport in Society, and Games and Culture. Nola Agha is a professor at the University of San Francisco, USA. Her research involves inequitable redistributions of wealth, the structural forces that allow for inequities, and policies that can remedy them. This includes the public subsidization of professional sports as well as racial and gender inequities. She has published widely and serves on the editorial board of several academic journals.

PART I The Intersection of Politics, Culture, and Sports in Afghanistan and Pakistan 1 Introduction: Sports in Afghanistan and Pakistan After the Unannounced End of the Global War on Terrorism 2 Historical Landscape of Sports in Afghanistan and Pakistan 3 Sport Under Taliban Rule: The Fall of Kabul (2021), Human Rights, and Afghanistan-Pakistan Cricket Politics 4 The Rise and Fall of Imran Khan and Its Enduring Impact on Sports in the Indian Subcontinent PART II Transnational Movements and the Athlete Diaspora 5 Athlete Migration and Sport Diaspora: Afghan and Pakistani Pathways Across the Global North and South 6 Afghan Refugee Athletes in Islamabad, Pakistan 7 Afghan and Pakistani Athletes' Migration in the Arab World: Unique Lived Experiences of Athletes in Qatar 8 Afghan and Pakistani Athletes' Migration in Europe: Media Framing and Western Discourse 9 Afghan and Pakistani Athletes' Migration in the United States: An Auto-Ethnographic Study PART III Sport as a Mirror of Sociopolitical Realities and Identity 10 Sport as a Geopolitical Battleground: Pakistani Sports Under Pakistan Junta's Control 11 South Asian Muslim Men, Masculinity, and Sport 12 Conclusion: Where Do We Go From Here?