In 2014, Lebanese national Nadim Nassif created the World Ranking of Countries in Elite Sport, a ranking system classifying countries by sports performance. More accurate than the medal-based olympic classification, it takes into account each sport’s popularity and presence worldwide. In an interview with Ici Beyrouth, Nadim Nassif shares his vision.
Ici Beyrouth: Tell us more about your journey in the sports field that made you create this ranking model.
Nadim Nassif: I got my BA in physical education from the University of Balamand, then a masters in sports management from Italy, England, and Switzerland. Then, I obtained another masters, sports history, from England, before getting a PhD in sports sociology from Université de Grenoble. I finished my studies in 2013. While studying, I was a futsal coach and am now the assistant coach and physical preparation specialist for the senior, junior, and women’s Lebanese national futsal team. (…) I am also a futsal instructor at the Asian Football Federation. The scientific research I conducted is about sports governance and the parameters that allow countries to succeed in this specific field.
IB: In 2014, you created a ranking model to identify the best nations according to their respective performances. Could you tell us a bit more about the model and how it functions?
NN: I always thought that the medal-based ranking system at the Olympics needed to be improved, as it doesn’t really do justice to a country’s performance. For example, Norway wins a lot of medals at the winter olympics, but few countries practice winter sports. In cross-country skiing and the biathlon, one country can win 3 or 4 medals, but you can’t win a single medal if you win the rugby or football world cup. You only get one medal if you win the olympic volleyball tournament, although more than 200 countries practice this sport. I wanted to create a ranking system that could assess performance accurately. The parameters vary, depending on the sport. After having classified countries separately for each sport, I multiply the points with a mixing ratio that is determined by the popularity of the sport. The more popular and universal it is, the higher the ratio. Therefore, getting first place in basketball or football earns many more points than getting first place in curling, for example.
IB: Doesn’t this give more importance to sports like football and basketball?
NN: It does, but for all the right reasons. To become world football champion, a team will have to stand out among 210 others, 190 of which practice football more than any other sport. Football has a ratio of 124.56, it represents 8.6% of a total ratio of 1443 that includes all the other sports. As for basketball, it has a ratio of 101.47, which constitutes 7% of the grand total.
IB: Are countries’ demographics taken into account? For example, if small nations like Croatia and Uruguay shine at the football world cup, do they get more points?
NN: No, this aspect is not taken into consideration. The ranking system only assesses results, not the parameters that allow nations to perform well. This system has, however, helped determine the factors behind a nation’s success in a specific sport. I am planning to write a book about this in the coming two years.
IB: Which factors determine the success of a nation in a given sport?
NN: I did a comparative study, from 2014 to 2019, which assessed the correlation between sports performance from one side, and population, GDP, and scientific research from another. There is very little correlation between sports and population. Having a large number of citizens does not change much. There is even a negative correlation in countries whose population is less than 6 million. However, the correlation between sports and GDP is much more important, just like the one between sports and scientific research. You need money and a certain know-how to succeed in sports. A large population isn’t of much use here.
IB: What about the correlation between sports and democracy?
NN: Weak. Many undemocratic countries perform well. For example, the correlation between sports performance and the FPI (Freedom Press Index) that Reporters Without Borders created is weak too. Dictatorships like Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, and China deliver good to great performances, just like democracies such as the USA, Great Britain, France, and Germany. Political interest is a major factor in sports success, and it has nothing to do with a country’s regime, be it democratic or autocratic.
IB: How has Lebanon fared since you introduced this new ranking system in 2014?
NN: Lebanon has always ranked somewhere between 90th and 100th, except in 2016 when it got 114th.
IB: Which sport are we the best at?
In 2019, Lebanon performed really well in Wushu and ranked 10th, I think. In rugby, we ranked 13th.
For more information, visit the official site with more details on the classification method, and the 2021 results in which the USA ranked first: https://www.worldsportranking.info/
