ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that the international dimension of African sports is important for coming to terms with how global developments influence the identity of Africans both within and outside the continent. It describes the colonial period to the postcolonial era across the entire continent of Africa. The book focuses on West and Central Africa by using football, cricket, dance and gymnastics, and table tennis to illuminate the politicization of sports and the effects of colonialism in terms of discourse and masculinity. It suggests that colonialism operated through the physical activities of gymnastics and dancing in Brazzaville. The book shows how the sport of cricket serves as a lens to view the interesting dynamic whereby Africans experienced, negotiated, and worked through the complicated legacies of imported European sporting traditions and their manifestations in the colonies.
