Russia is still the leading Global Sports Nation for 2015

London, Nov 3, 2015: For the second year running, Russia has been awarded the title of top Global Sports Nation, in the Sportcal Global Sports Nations Index 2015. However, its lead at the top of the Index is now just 1,150 points, reduced from 6,700 last year.

Canada and the United Kingdom remain second and third respectively, as part of an unchanged top six in the Index.

Meanwhile, France has moved up two places to seventh, having been awarded the Fifa Women’s World Cup in 2019. In the tight battle between seventh, eighth and ninth in the Index, this meant Italy dropped two places to ninth.

With more data than ever before available on the Sportcal Events platform, the Global Sports Nations Index has been extended to cover a 14-year period (increased from a 12-year period), covering seven years in the past and seven years in the future (2009-2022).

Australia and Qatar are the biggest movers in the top 20, moving up four places to 15th, and five places to 19th, respectively. Australia has been awarded three more major events in the past year, including badminton’s BWF Sudirman Cup 2017, while Qatar will host world championships in road cycling, artistic gymnastics, athletics and soccer in the next seven years.

Japan has reached its highest ever position in the Index, moving up to 10th. In addition to the Olympic Games in 2020, Japan will host the Asian Winter Games in 2017 and the World Masters Games in 2021, as well as the next edition of the Rugby World Cup in 2019.

Denmark has also climbed one place, to 14th. Denmark accumulated points from being awarded the World Women’s Curling Championship 2019 and triathlon’s new-concept event, the ITU Multisport Festival 2018, in the 12 months since the last Index.

Meanwhile, Ireland was the highest climber overall, moving up 11 places to 49th, thanks to being awarded the World Field Archery Championships for 2016 and the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup (jointly with Northern Ireland, UK).

Bahamas (54th), Algeria (61st), Uganda (62nd) and Egypt (67th) are each listed in the Index for the first time.

Over the analysis period (2009-2022), 81 nations have hosted, or will host, a world championships or multi-sports games out of all events awarded to date.

The Index analysed 708 events across 143 categories.

For the full Global Sports Nations Index 2015 visit: Global Sports Nations Index 2015

Further analysis is available to Sportcal subscribers via Sportcal’s Events and Bidding service.

The Global Sports Nations and Cities Indices are one of the results of the Global Sports Impact (GSI) Project, one of the most extensive studies of sport, which has analysed over 1,600 events in a 16-year period. The GSI Project is developing a standard methodology for measuring the impact of major sporting events.

Sportcal recently published its ground-breaking report, The Global Sports Impact Report 2015, which analyses the impact of the major sporting events in 2014. The 2014 Nations and Cities indices are analysed in detail in the report, with background information on the GSI Project. —- Sportcal