From Podium to Profit: How International Sports Wins Boost National Income?
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Abstract
This study describes how Thailand, as the principal case, convert international sports victories—through both athletic performance and event hosting—into measurable contributions to national income. It introduces the “Podium to Profit” framework, which links sports branding, sport diplomacy, policy alignment, and entrepreneurship enablement with macroeconomic and community-level outcomes. Using Germany and Qatar as comparative cases, the article evaluates the conditions under which sporting success translates into economic value. The Thai case studies provide the primary empirical foundation, offering in-depth analysis of local mechanisms, while evidence from Germany’s long-term infrastructural returns and Qatar’s sports diplomacy and diversification strategies contextualizes and broadens the framework’s relevance. Findings reveal that strategic alignment across sectors—policy, education, commerce, and culture—is key to unlocking the full economic potential of international sports success.
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