Exploring Refugee-Led Sport Events With Asset-Based Community Development

Abstract This chapter examines the sport experiences of refugee youth in Malaysia by focusing on the voices of those who have taken on leadership roles in organising community sport. Using a case study approach guided by the Asset-Based Community Development framework, we investigated the strengths, organisational capacities and structural barriers encountered by refugee-led community-based organisations in their efforts to promote social integration through sport. The findings revealed that these youths possess a variety of individual assets, including skills, talent, knowledge and experience, that significantly contribute to community-building efforts. Refugee youth have leveraged refugee networks comprising different ethnic groups to make sport events a success. Despite lacking engagement with institutional stakeholders and legal identities, the participants successfully harnessed their assets and exercised their organisational capacities to deliver impactful sport events. We emphasised the importance of engaging relevant stakeholders in enhancing the efficacy of sport for development programmes. By focusing on refugees’ assets and capabilities, research plays a vital role in supplementing more nuanced perspectives as evidence of research and practice.