Politics
The secret to becoming a sporting superpower
Few countries punch above their weight in sport quite like Norway.
With a population of approximately 5.6 million, it consistently produces world-class talent across soccer, athletics, winter sports, cycling, golf and tennis — a success many attribute to a distinctive model that prioritizes participation over early specialization, receives sustained public investment and benefits from a political consensus that sport should be accessible to every child.
Lubna Jaffery, Norway’s minister of culture and equality (whose portfolio includes sports) and a social-democratic politician from the governing coalition’s Labour Party, argues that approach is no accident, even in one of Europe’s wealthiest countries.
Speaking to Blue Light News from Miami’s South Beach, where she had just joined thousands of Norwegian supporters in the now-famous “Viking Row,” Jaffery expanded on Norway’s emphasis on inclusiveness and play, discussed Russia’s potential reintegration to global sports — and revealed how she thinks tonight’s World Cup quarterfinal against England will play out.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Norway keeps producing world-class athletes across football, athletics, winter sports, cycling, golf, tennis. What is the secret to this — and is it the result of deliberate public policy?
Well, I think it’s the notion in Norway that when you’re young, everyone is allowed to do sports. And several sports as well. It’s not like you just do football if you’re doing football, or if you do gymnastics, you’re just doing gymnastics. A lot of the children, they’re doing several activities at the same time from quite a young age. And the competitive part of it isn’t very present at a young age — so they’re doing it mostly for fun.
I think for our government — and also for several governments before our coalition — it’s been very important that all children who want to do sports are allowed to do sports, that the pricing is reasonable and so, if you’re a part of a family that isn’t very well off, you’re also allowed to have children doing sports and also a culture of giving people the chance even though they don’t have a lot of money.
I think the playfulness in the Norwegian sporting system — that we don’t compete from a young age — is a crucial part of why we do have so many athletes doing well. Of course, it’s also due to the very, very hard work they put into it.
Many other countries pursue sporting success by specializing children earlier, spending money and placing winning as the most important thing. As international competition becomes more intense, do you think Norway can continue this development without compromising its values?
I think it’s part of who we are as Norwegians. We want to have a playful approach to sports from quite a young age. Of course, we also have to compete and teach children how it is to be in a competition — because if you want to do this professionally, it’s something you have to learn how to do and all the feelings around being a part of the competition.
I think the philosophy is very clear. OK, you’re taking part in something that is good for you, where you make friends, which gives you the ability to learn different skills that double as life skills when you grow up. If we want to compete at the level we’re doing right now internationally, it is important to take care of the model we have in Norway where inclusiveness and playfulness is a very important part.
Norway was a strong supporter of sanctions against Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The direction of travel at the moment at the IOC and FIFA seems to be toward bringing the Russians back into competition. What do you think about that? Do you think it’s right or wrong?
We have a very long-standing tradition in Norwegian politics — including the Norwegian minister for sports — to support the Norwegian Football Federation and also the Norwegian Olympic Committee and their viewpoints.
So we are backing them, and the Norwegian standpoint is that they don’t want to allow Russian athletes to come back — but you have the different organizations that make the decisions, like the IOC and FIFA that, of course, Norwegian politicians aren’t a part of.
We can’t overrule what the sporting federation is doing, but we are supporting the national sporting federations in Norway and their viewpoints against Russia.
OK, last one. Give me a score prediction for Norway against England tonight.
Well, I think England should win this match, actually, if you look at their track record. Of course, I’m hoping for Norway, though. So I won’t give you a prediction. I think it’s going to be a hard match. I’m very nervous, but I have a good feeling.
For all theFIFA promotion of the World Cup’s arrival in Miami — think downtown skylines, Latin music and speedboats on Biscayne Bay — today’s quarterfinal match between Norway and England this afternoon will not, in fact, take place along the azure waters of Miami proper.
Instead, star strikers Erling Haaland and Harry Kane will duel this evening in an inland, now-suburban stadium that was once a sandy tract of land where locals would take weekend dirtbike joyrides and come to dump their trash.
The city of Miami Gardens, a predominantly Black community of 114,000 about 15 miles northeast of downtown Miami, is the true host of Florida’s World Cup experience. Since the tournament began, the city has hosted five matches at what has temporarily been rebranded Miami Stadium, with a third-place match next Saturday still to come.
As with many sporting venues in the United States, Miami Stadium was never built to be accessible to a central, walkable, downtown urban core. Instead, the site was chosen by Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie in 1984 as a low-income, rural and then-unincorporated alternative to the city of Miami, which wanted to raise rent on the NFL team’s stadium. Instead, Robbie signed a 99-year lease with Dade County for the stadium site, paying $1 a year.
At the time, the local populace was little enthused about the prospect of welcoming a $100 million pro sports stadium in its backyard. Despite a civil rights lawsuit from local homeowners, many of whom were Black, by 1987 the stadium opened to the public.
Nearly 40 years later, that stadium is now a major economic engine for Miami Gardens, which incorporated in 2003. The city, never a glamour destination in the region, is now host to one of the world’s largest sporting events. The Oxford Economics Company’s Tourism Economics Event Impact Calculator predicted that the World Cup would generate about $650 million in economic activity, spread across South Florida, a number that may have been optimistic.
But local leaders are hoping there are intangible benefits for a city too easily confused with its much bigger neighbor.
“It will give us an opportunity to sell our story and the city of Miami Gardens,” Mayor Rodney Harris said in a promotional video for the World Cup. “We want them to come back and visit us after FIFA is all gone … open up a business here in Miami Gardens.”
The effort has already had multiple false starts…
Read More
They’re hoping a chance to vote on a key legislative priority for Florida Republicans will convince Rep. Anna Paulina Luna to stand down in her rebellion…
Read More
- The host city is doing all of the hosting, none of the headlining
- Donald Trump ousts election commission members in latest push to reshape US voting process
- Russia sanctions legislation gets green light from White House, lawmakers say
- The reason House GOP leaders are holding a vote to stop the changing of the clocks
- Chuck Grassley pushed for more transparency into Kash Patel’s FBI spending in May, Democrats reveal
- Jordan Wood joins crowded Maine Senate race
- The secret to becoming a sporting superpower
- Poll: Politics shapes patriotism, from the US to the UK
- Norway’s other World Cup campaign: Getting Israel kicked out of soccer
- Why FIFA is putting down roots in Miami
-
Politics1 year agoFormer ‘Squad’ members launching ‘Bowman and Bush’ YouTube show
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoLuigi Mangione acknowledges public support in first official statement since arrest
-
The Josh Fourrier Show2 years agoDOOMSDAY: Trump won, now what?
-
Politics1 year agoFormer Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron launches Senate bid
-
Uncategorized2 years ago
Bob Good to step down as Freedom Caucus chair this week
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoPete Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon goes from bad to worse
-
Politics1 year agoBlue Light News’s Editorial Director Ryan Hutchins speaks at Blue Light News’s 2025 Governors Summit
-
The Dictatorship10 months agoMike Johnson sums up the GOP’s arrogant position on military occupation with two words