The ASEAN Championship: A regional tournament that became a cultural institution
The ASEAN Championship, a regional football tournament, has evolved into a significant cultural institution over its 30-year history. The event reflects the growing political ambition and modernization efforts of Southeast Asian nations through stadium infrastructure.
Why it matters
It illustrates how sporting events serve as soft power and indicators of national development in emerging economies.
A few days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Jakarta speaking to the Indian community. He talked about the FIFA World Cup, joking that every time he visits Indonesia, football fever seems to be in the air.
Indonesia is one of those places where football is discussed with the seriousness of politics and the emotion of a religion. While his reference was to highlight that he always visits Indonesia during a World Cup year, he was certainly briefed about the region’s passionate support for the game.
The final between Spain and Argentina has barely faded from television screens, while another tournament – the ASEAN Championship – is preparing to begin almost unnoticed outside the region. It is set to run from July 24 to August 26.
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