Furthermore, sport has widely been a major cultural influence where the Vatican has created their own sports department in August 2004 under the leadership of the late Pope John Paul II. In the article, a spokesperson from the Vatican, had stated that, “the …show more content…
First, the spread of sports throughout the world has allowed European athletes to participate in professional leagues around the world. For example, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, the Association of Tennis Professionals, and the English Premier League are prime set examples of allowing these athletes to play professionally across the world. In addition, the spread of sports has led to the number of countries widely increasing in international sporting events. For example, countries like, Uruguay, Kenya, and Venezuela all participated in their “first Olympic Winter Games in 1998 in Nagano, Japan” (cf. International Olympic Committee, 2008a). Lastly, there are numerous athletes who are increasingly participating in a diverse range of sports by facing some obstacles along the way. Nevertheless, Thibault provides three obstacles these athletes face such as, gender, religious, and climate issues. One challenge they are remarkably faced with is the climate