https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2421-8106
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Abstract
The sport legacy among ethnic minorities has been neglected despite the positive outcomes of active lifestyle and social inclusion. The current research, applying time series analysis, evaluates evidence of sport legacy among four English ethnic minorities regarding the hosting of Olympic Games (London 2012). A short-term association was found between hosting the Games and sport participation rates among ethnic groups, leading more to increasing frequency of engagement for existing participants than to attracting new participants. The results indicate differences among the ethnic groups and gender, showing that females from Asian ethnicities having the highest engagement. Practical implications for the governance of events in the future relate to improving the festival effect of the Games, to encourage social inclusion for ethnic minorities. Our results might encourage policy makers to maintain a sustained effort in the post-event period to capitalise on sport legacy.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Thanos Panagouleas for his help in data processing and advice.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Notes
1 See Scheu, Preuß, and Könecke (Citation2021) for a recent review of the empirical evidence about Olympic legacy following the Preuss’ framework.
2 The regressions for each ethnic minority group, gender and each variable of sport participation are available upon request.
3 For example, in 2011, 1 in 5 people in England were from Black, Asian, & Minority Ethnic groups; this is projected to increase to 2 in 5 people by 2051 (Sport England Citation2020).
4 The change from Active People Survey to Active Lives Survey at the end of 2014 in England makes the long-term analysis to the present less reliable and consistent.