Sports Migration: a look at African runners in Brazil

Abstract

The migration can be characterized beforehand as the exchange of definite or temporary residence. This phenomenon is observed in different sectors of the society, as well as takes place for different motives; in this inquiry the migration is made a list to the sporting sector. Within the sports context, one of the groups that are in constant migratory mobility are African runners, who move to different countries, including Brazil. Meantime, the impacts of the entry of these individuals are not always quite receptive; divergences and conflicts are observed regarding the native Brazilian athletes, who argue a difficulty in competing with these individuals, as soon as those are considered the best of the world in the running of middle and long-distance. Given this, the present research starts from the question of which factors influence the migratory process of African runners to Brazil? In view of the above problem, the main objective was to analyze the factors that influence the migration process of African road running athletes to Brazil. To meet the demand established by the objective, an analytical model of sports migration was elaborated, a model formulated after understanding the need to aggregate different perspectives for the analysis of the phenomenon. The central idea of the proposed model was to analyze the migratory process from the following dimensions: cultural dimension, political dimension, economic dimension and personal dimension. To meet the desires of the analytical model, explanatory research has appropriated multiple research techniques, including bibliographic research, observational research, interviews and documentary research. As a result, it was diagnosed that the migration of East African runners to Brazil reflects some aspects of the globalization of sport. Regarding the cultural dimension, an international division of sports work was identified. In the political dimension, the performance of different political actors was detected in a dispute for the flexibility of migration and participation of foreigners in competition. Economically, it was observed that there is an imbalance between the countries part of the migration process towards the more central countries, as pointed out by the perspective of the world system. Finally, in the personal dimension, it was identified that even the structures of globalization acting on the pressure for migration, individuals are able to calculate the risks in relation to their decision to migrate, as well as their personal relationships contribute to knowing those responsible for effect the migration process. It is concluded, then, that the predominant factor for the decision to migrate is the economic one. However, the other dimensions, political, cultural and personal, shape the pattern of migration of African road runners to Brazil.