ABSTRACT
This chapter concentrates on the relationship between sport and diplomacy as seen 'through the embassy window'. The discussion begins by framing NSSA diplomacy in the groundbreaking, dynamic and epistemological work that theorists have done on the diplomacy of non-state actors (NSAs). To think of diplomacy beyond the state context it is important to remember that the state does not have a monopoly on diplomacy, and nor should it. A view of diplomacy as a plural affair is encouraged, one that emphasises the increasingly important role non-state actors play in international relations. Betsill and Corell use the term nongovernmental organisations diplomacy to describe the huge presence and influence of nongovernmental organisations in international environmental negotiations. The most obvious political actor in the international society of sport is the sporting administrative regime. They wield power over national sporting bodies, interact with states and non-state actors in formal and informal settings, and all have distinct flags, constitutions, policies and charters.
