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The political annexation of the sports hero in contemporary Romania. The case of Simona Halep

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  • Vasile-Teodor Burnar

Abstract

The present article aims to highlight the ways in which the sports hero in Romania is “annexed”, ie used and instrumentalized by the political power, represented by public institutions, political parties and / or politicians. The case study analyzes the ceremonies and awards bestowed upon the tennis player Simona Halep, the most prominent sports figure of Romania in the past decade, by a number of local authorities in the country (Buşteni, Constanţa, Călăraşi, Bucharest, Cluj) and by the Romanian Presidency, from late 2013 to the present day. We scrutinize the reasons behind such feats of public homage and the media coverage it entailed, while also trying to explain why sport, and tennis in particular, is courted assiduously by politicians in the country – and what this reveals about the standing of the sports hero in Romanian society and political legitimization strategies. We also explore the reasons why apparently similar political strategies of gaining political kudos through association with a sport hero work brilliantly for one Romanian politician and dramatically backfire for another. Last but not least, we take a look at the way the sports hero was instrumentalized during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Vasile-Teodor Burnar, 2021. "The political annexation of the sports hero in contemporary Romania. The case of Simona Halep," Journal of Community Positive Practices, Catalactica NGO, issue 1, pages 8-31.
    • Handle: RePEc:cta:jcppxx:1212
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    File URL: http://jppc.ro/index.php/jppc/article/download/398/342
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Olivier Driessens, 2013. "The celebritization of society and culture: understanding the structural dynamics of celebrity culture," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 55742, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. David Marsh & Paul ‘t Hart & Karen Tindall, 2010. "Celebrity Politics: The Politics of the Late Modernity?," Political Studies Review, Political Studies Association, vol. 8(3), pages 322-340, September.
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