Abstract

This study attempts to determine whether sports can contribute to poverty reduction by comparing countries’ Sport for Development and Peace activities. I focused on five countries participating in the Homeless World Cup (HWC): Zimbabwe, Cambodia, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Japan. By identifying the differences and similarities that emerge between these countries, this study aimed to determine the HWC’s significance in the context of poverty reduction and solving homelessness. Using a socio-ecological model focused on life skills and social inclusion, I interviewed representatives, coaches, participants, families, national partner staff members, partner organizations, and countries’ administrations. This process employed a field survey and participant observation approach from 2011 to 2019. The results revealed participants’ increased mental and physical health, improved communication skills, more positive interpersonal relationships, and life skill acquisition. Results also emphasized the various circumstances that contribute to homelessness and the different potential paths to escape poverty. Most significantly, each surveyed national partner appeared to consider the HWC as more of a waypoint than a final goal: assigning meaning to the tournament according to their own activities and using the event to develop their organizations.