The Importance of Sport in Belgium

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The Importance of Sport in Belgium

Introduction:

The globalization of sport around the world has played a large role into why the sport industry is currently an ever-expanding billion dollar industry. Twice the size of the auto industry, the sport industry is one of the most well-known and competitive fields to break into because of the amount of competition present. However, each country views sport in a different way which is another reason why the success of the sports industry has been treading upward for years now. With the advancement of schools, training facilities, workouts, travel teams, and specialization of sport in many countries; children are beginning to become pressured into making a life choice before being mentally capable. The European country Belgium is a place where its citizens have a genuine love for a variety of sports. The country of Belgium is located in Western Europe, borders the North Sea, and neighboring countries include France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Netherlands (“globalEDGE,” 2014). Belgium’s flat coastal plains take up most of the northwest, but rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest lie in the southeast (“globalEDGE,” 2014). Belgium may not be one of those places many people associate with having great athletes, but going through the history of their country will allow for a greater understanding of Belgium as a whole.

At the Congress of Vienna, in 1815, Belgium (The Southern Netherlands) and the Northern Netherlands (Holland) were united to for one individual state, to whom King William I was ruler (“Official Information and Services,” 2014). Even though his policy was helpful to the Belgian bourgeoisie, there was much protest, and the Catholics objected to the interference of the...

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Official Information and Services. (n.d.). Portal Belgian Government. Retrieved May 2, 2014, from http://www.belgium.be/en/

History of Belgium. (n.d.). History of Belgium. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.historyofnations.net/europe/belgium.html

Olympic.org. (n.d.). Olympics. Retrieved May 2, 2014, from http://www.olympic.org

Van Hilvoorde, I., Vorstenbosch, J., & Devisch, I. (2010). Philosophy of Sport in Belgium and the Netherlands: Histroy and Characteristics. Journal Of The Philosophy Of Sport, 37(2), 225-236.

Llewellyn, M.P. (2011). ‘Olympic Games are an International Farce’. International Journal Of History Of Sport, 28(5), 751-772.

Horváth, Z. (2013). Belgian Interfederal and Olympic Committee. Belgian Interfederal and Olympic Committee. Retrieved May 6, 2014, from http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/oly@be.html

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