Republicans and Democrats in Congress are pressing the Trump administration to come up with a strategy to use a series of marquee international sporting events in the United States to expand American diplomatic influence.
With the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2034 and the FIFA World Cup next year, the lawmakers argue that the United States must seize a unique chance to strengthen its relationships with other countries.
“It is an opportunity to show off your host city and to show off your Olympians,” Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Democrat of California, said in an interview. “But it’s also an opportunity to lean into diplomacy — business-to-business relationships, nonprofit-to-business, government relationships.”
Ms. Kamlager-Dove is a leading sponsor of the American Decade in Sports Act, legislation introduced on Friday, which seeks to expand the State Department’s role in sports diplomacy. The measure would elevate an existing division into a formal Office of Sports Diplomacy, provide more funding and staff, and require the department to present a comprehensive sports diplomacy strategy to Congress.
Ms. Kamlager-Dove said the bill, which is cosponsored by several members of her own party as well as a number of Republicans, including Representative Young Kim of California, would ensure that “we implement all of the things that need to be done to get the United States ready for this mega decade.”
Ms. Kamlager-Dove said she developed a deeper appreciation for how a shared enthusiasm for sports can strengthen diplomatic ties during a recent trip to Japan. Having been advised to bring a gift, she chose a Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers jersey, in honor of the hometown athlete who has gone on to become an international baseball sensation.
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