Blurring Ethnic Lines Through Sport: Central Asia's Sporting Rise, State Investment Rationale, And The Integrity Risks.

A presentation by Khais Ramanie exploring how sport is used by Central Asian states for nation-building and the associated integrity risks.

This presentation draws on the research paper "Central Asia's kaleidoscope of identities: Sport as the perfect instrument for nation-building." It examines how sport addresses post-independence vulnerabilities in Central Asian states, such as weak borders and authoritarian fears. Khais Ramanie will illustrate this through the cases of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, while also discussing the emergence of clientelist systems and concerns regarding financial transparency and integrity risks in the region's sports sector.