Copenhagen – Brazil, which is hosting the 2016 Olympic Games, has remained in the eighth position in the Global Sports Nations Index 2014, issued by British sports intelligence consulting firm Sportcal. The index measures the number of major sports events hosted by different countries. The list is topped by Russia, where the next FIFA World Cup is taking palce, followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, Germany and Italy.
The index covered 680 major events in 90 different modalities, past or future, within a 12-year timeframe (from 2009 to 2020). Each event was rated based on aspects such as their economic, financial, sports and media impact.
The final score of each country is based on the sum of grades given to past or future events. According to a report from Sportcal, the development of strategies for hosting major events plays a key role in building and consolidating a nation’s global image in sports.
A highlight of the index is the United States, which has climbed from the ninth position, in 2012, to the fifth in 2014. Sportcal ascribes the country’s improvement to its ability to win bidding rounds and attract major events. The Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) have also placed better. Denmark, for instance, climbed from 20th to 15th due to its hosting the Ice Hockey World Championship and Sailing World Cup in 2018.
The index also ranks the most successful cities in attracting major sports events. Rio de Janeiro placed third, after London (United Kingdom) and Moscow (Russia). Beijing (China), Tokyo (Japan), Paris (France), Copenhagen (Denmark), Vancouver (Canada), Doha (Qatar) and Kazan (Russia) are also in the top ten.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
