Introduction 1 Sport and Development, Or Development

Notes Introduction 1. The Games of the New Emerging Forces were founded by Indonesia, to challenge the hegemony of the International Olympic Committee. The first and last Asian GANEFO games were held in December of 1966 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and 15 nations participated. 2. The People’s Republic of China paid US$18 for the transportation costs of all delegations. More than 2,200 athletes and officials from 48 regions, including France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland and the Soviet Union, attended the Games. 1 Sport and Development, or Development through Sport in the Arab World 1. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) signed an international part- nership with Wales and Iran. The aim, as stated on web page of the Regional Government Ministry of Youth Sport, was to initiate and deliver independent sport in the Kurdistan Region, “in a way that is integrated with Iraq at the national level, that builds on the strength of new and existing international partnerships, which will help the KRG to develop their aim to compete at the highest levels of international sport as a region” (http://www.mosy-conference.info/). 2. To expand its market and to face the so-called Iranian “threat” in the region at political level, the GCC agreed, at the Thirteenth Annual Con- sultative Summit held on May 13, 2011, in the Saudi capital Riyadh, to accept the demands of the Kingdom of Jordan and, surprisingly, that Morocco should join the Council. 3. The United Nations Development Programme Arab Human Development Report 2002 summarizes the deficit of development in the Arab world around the following points: the Arab world scores above sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia in world human development rankings by region, but below East and South East Asia and Latin America; in GDP per capita, the Arab world outscores South East Asia, which indicates that the Arab world is more wealthy than it is “developed”; in rankings of human rights, participation and democracy, however, the Arab world scores dead last among all regions of the world; in rankings of women’s role and status in society, it scores second to last, being “outdone” only by sub-Saharan Africa. Adult illiteracy in the Arab world is still above 50 percent, par- ticularly among women, and rates of enrolment in formal education lag behind global averages – again, more so for women (Salem, 2006). 164 Notes 165 4. A recent rule adopted by FIFA has made the professionalization of all elite football leagues compulsory by 2011. 5. Lebanon received $28 million from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to help in the construction of sports facilities destroyed during the civil war (Jordan Times, April 8, 1999). 6. It is interesting to make a parallel here with the Maccabi Games, which are the games of the Jewish communities around the world. 7. Reported in the Middle East North Africa Financial Network, June 22, 2005, http://www.menafn.com. 8. With a budget of US$2.8 billion, it is the biggest event after the Olympics in terms of number of countries represented (45), number of sporting events (39), number of volunteers (45,000), number of viewers (cumula- tive audience of 1.5 billion) and amount of broadcasting (2,000 hours of television coverage). 9. Mike Lee was described by the Observer as the man who, before setting up his company Vero communication, masterminded London’s successful bid to host the Games. The team also hired the service of Andrew Graig, a Detroit-based British executive who also worked for London (MacKay, D, 2008). 10. “Top regional nutrition experts warned that Gulf nationals are among the worst affected. If the trend continues, young people in the Gulf region will be more susceptible to chronic diseases such as heart problems, dia- betes, cancer and high blood pressure, which account for 50 per cent of premature deaths, according to the 400 experts gathered for a three- day conference aimed at formulating an Arab strategy to combat obesity and promote physical activity” (The National Newspaper, UAE, January 20, 2010). 11. “According to the findings of the Survey from the 18 Arab countries that responded out of the 22, Arab governments have yet to meet some basic challenges with regard to the implementation of the Standard Rules. These include raising public awareness about causes and prevention of disability, and the rights and potentials of persons with disabilities; pass- ing legislation; gathering and using information and statistics on disability; supporting organizations of persons with disabilities, and ensuring their representation; and creating an accessible physical environment” (Althani, 2006). 2 Football in Post-Colonial and “Post-Conflict” Algeria 1. Total rupture was not achieved, if we consider the number of teachers and sport technicians trained in France in the 1970s according to western, secular and modern models of teaching and pedagogy. 2. The national sports movement was still organized under the colonial legislation on sport dating from 1901, which was extended by Decree 66–354 on July 10, 1963, until the appearance of a new ordinance on sport and physical education, No. 76–81, on September 22, 1976. The Algerian Ministry of Youth and Sport (December 21/22, 1993). 166 Notes 3. Before, during and after the 1975 Mediterranean Games, in Algiers. This was the first major international event organized in Algeria, and it took place after only 13 years of independence. 4. For instance, in case of injury an athlete would obtain the same remuner- ation as other workers in the company. 5. The athletes had previously required an authorization from the company directors in order to participate in competitions at national or international level, or simply for training. 6. The first gold medal in a major championship in football came after only 13 years of independence. 7. Legislation was enacted in 1988 giving enterprises autonomy. 8. Almost all of Algeria’s export receipts were paid in US dollars. The reduc- tion in value of this currency reduced to a third the value of Algerian imports between 1985 and 1991, which resulted in 40 percent loss in revenue in less than a decade. 9. The president condemned the failure of the Algerian football team in the African Cup of Nations in Egypt in 1991, giving strict orders that the Min- istry of Sport intervene directly by changing the president of the football federation. 10. Most of them were dual citizens (e.g., Abdallah Liegon (Medjadi) playing at Monaco, Dahleb the captain of Paris St-Germain, Karim Maroc of Lyon FC and others). 11. Raï literarily means “opinion.” It expresses the yearn of post- independence youth for freedom of expression. Originally from Oranie (western Algeria), it is a mix of Bedouin (traditional) songs, which were adapted during the 1970s, with the introduction of modern instruments (guitar, saxophone, keyboard). Forbidden at start, as it was considered immoral and subversive, it was banned from all the television and state radio stations. It is now considered as part of the global music industry thanks to singers such as Khaled and Mami. 12. The state’s monopoly on national television and the restrictions imposed by the European Union regarding the provision of visas have transformed satellite TV channels into a sort of window through which Algerian people can travel, at least virtually. 13. Named after Bologhine Ibn Ziri, the founder of Algiers in 973. 14. Due to the absence of job opportunities, many youngsters have turned to the illegal selling of various European products on the black market. This activity is known in Algerian dialect as Trabendo. 15. Some of the national corporations, in addition to being official sponsors of the sports clubs, offered salaries and positions as employees for some top players and coaches. 16. For example, the pursuit of the recognition of Amazighia (the Berber language) as an official language by the government. 17. Introducing Algeria’s President-for-Life (http://www.merip.org/mero/ mero040109.html). 18. The Civil Harmony Law granted conditional amnesty to radical Islamists who surrendered and renounced violence. Islamist insurgents were eli- gible for amnesty if they fully disclosed their past, so long as they had Notes 167 not caused death or permanent injury to others, committed rape, or used explosives in places frequented by the public. Insurgents who had committed any of those crimes would receive reduced sentences, but not full amnesty. See Rachid Tlemçani (2008), “Algeria under Bouteflika: Civil Strife and National Reconciliation.” 19. The Khalifa Group (including Khalifa Airways, Khalifa Bank and Khalifa pharmaceuticals) – owned by Khalifa Abdelmoumen, once the golden boy of the Algerian business world – was dissolved in 2003, following an inves- tigation by Algerian authorities that uncovered violations of the money transfer law. This turned out to be one of the biggest publicized financial scandal in Algerian history. One hundred and four people were involved, both in Algeria (and those included four ministers, several magistrates and top government officials) and in France (famous French actors among them), in the trial over the disappearance of more than 3.2 billion dinars (3.4 million euros, 4.5 million dollars) from the accounts of the Khalifa Bank. Jailed in London and waiting extradition to Algeria, Rafik Khalifa was tried in absentia. 20. Nedjma, one of the leading mobile phone companies in Algeria, signed a four-year sponsorship deal with the Algerian Football Federation for an annual contribution of 3 billion dinars. In exchange, Nedjma was the principal sponsor of three matches of the national team during the joint African Cup and World Cup 2010 qualification tournament, as well as sponsor of the referees for the 2009–2010 Algerian Football League and for the naming of the Algerian Football Cup.

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