7 Kiani, Mohammad Saeid, Nazari, Leila. Sports indicators affecting the brand. Quality in Sport. 2021;7(4):7-20. eISSN 2450-3118. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.12775/QS.2021.07.04.001 https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/37745 The journal has had 20 points in Ministry of Education and Science of Poland parametric evaluation. Annex to the announcement of the Minister of Education and Science of December 21, 2021. No. 32582. Has a Journal's Unique Identifier: 201398. Scientific disciplines assigned: Economics and finance (Field of social sciences); Management and Quality Sciences (Field of social sciences). Punkty Ministerialne z 2019 - aktualny rok 20 punktów. Załącznik do komunikatu Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z dnia 21 grudnia 2021 r. Lp. 32582. Posiada Unikatowy Identyfikator Czasopisma: 201398. Przypisane dyscypliny naukowe: Ekonomia i finanse (Dziedzina nauk społecznych); Nauki o zarządzaniu i jakości (Dziedzina nauk społecznych). © The Authors 2021-2022; This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author (s) and source are credited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non commercial license Share alike. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper. Received: 22.08.2022. Revised: 20.10.2022. Accepted: 04.11.2022. Sports indicators affecting the brand Mohammad saeid Kiani PhD student, Sports Management, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah Branch. Kermanshah. Iran Leila Nazari PhD student in Sports Management, Kurdistan University, Sanandaj, Iran Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to present a model of sport indicators affecting the brand of the country. Methodology: This is a correlational study and the statistical population of this study is PhD students in sports in Iran (N = 400). Based on Morgan's table, 144 Individuals were selected by random method. In order to achieve the research goals, a comprehensive list of sports indicators was prepared and adjusted and a researcher - made questionnaire was developed. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by 15 sports management professors and their reliability was in a preliminary study with 30 subjects and Cronbach's alpha was calculated to be 0.909 . Descriptive and inferential statistical methods such as exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to analyze the data using SPSS and LISREL software. Results: The results showed that the main variables have eight general dimensions of sport tourism, sport diplomacy, sports investment, sporting-cultural, sports exports, sports people-sports, sports achievements and media sports, and has a total of 50 indicators. Conclusion:According to the results of the research and the identified indicators, the proposed model is a suitable theoretical model for sport indicators affecting the brand of the country. Key words: Brand, factor analysis, sports science, sports tourism. Introduction: In today's world, the brand of the country (nation) is a scientific concept in the field of marketing that includes a very wide range of sciences and academic disciplines and various organizations of a country and the use of branding techniques for the country.is a relatively new phenomenon, However, it is a concept that, despite the increasing global competition that countries face in the field of domestic and foreign markets, has paid more and more attention to it and is increasingly making conscious efforts to develop And improve the branding of their country. The purpose of branding a http://dx.doi.org/10.12775/QS.2021.07.04.001 https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/37745 8 country is to promote the image and popularity of a country to gain benefits such as attracting foreign investment, developing tourism and promoting exports. . This only happens when the actions of that country are responsible and communicated to others in a proper way. In a general sense, it is said that a country can have a strong reputation and image when it takes appropriate and significant actions for illustration, powerfully explains and interprets these actions, and of course listens carefully to its feedback. . Thus, a strong and positive country brand provides an important competitive advantage for countries to understand how they are seen by the general public around the world and how their achievements and failures, assets and liabilities, people and products are reflected in their brand image. Yes, it is necessary (Stewart, 2016). The brand structure of the country has a multifaceted nature. The key components of a country's brand identity, such as history, sports, region, signs, and local literature, represent the enduring essence of a country (Dinnie 2018) and a country's sport, like its symbols and perspectives, represent a unique representative and indicator of identity. It is a country and is a rich source for modernizing the country's brands. In addition, smaller or developing nations and countries with limited financial resources focus on national culture, including music, film, literature, language, and sports, instead of launching costly advertising programs. They can play an important role in determining and accommodating the existing image and mentality of a country (Masoomzadeh AB2019). Without exaggeration, sport is a mirror image in which nations, communities, men and women can see their present. This reflection is sometimes bright, sometimes dark, sometimes distorted and sometimes magnified. It is a metaphor for collective joy in the face of depression, security in the face of insecurity, pride in the face of humiliation, and alienation. Therefore, participation in sports can be considered a sign of civilization, health and happiness of a country (Eidy H. Ramezani Nejad2020). Sport is not only a tool to express a national identity or a picture of a country's progress, but in some cases, a positive reputation in sports can enhance that country's position on the world stage. Some researchers also believe that the use of sports in the mix of branding The country and as a tool for positioning a country, has been neglected (Rein,& Shields, B 2017). There is a fundamental belief in the field of country branding that if one country does not actively define and identify itself, others will do so in a negative and destructive way, mainly with the help of metaphors and myths (Papadopoulos 2018). . If the country's brand is to have a wide reflection and a deep connection with the whole society, social procedures and phenomena related to the concept that sport is an important part of it should be considered and its results should be applied (Masoomzadeh AB2019 ). One of the most important researches in the field of the country's brand is Anhelt's research, which presented the country's brand index in order to measure the image and reputation of the countries of the world. This index examines the status of national brands in six dimensions (tourism, exports, people, investment and migration, governance and culture and cultural heritage), which include culture and cultural heritage, including music, film, art, literature, as well as Exercise (Anholt, S. and GMI 2017). Dini also presented a conceptual model of the country's brand in a study that shows the multifaceted nature of the country's brand structure. In this model, sport is mentioned as one of the key components of a country's brand identity and as a means of transmitting a country's identity (Dinnie 2018). For this reason, sport has become an increasingly important part of the country's brand; Because many people's perceptions of a country, its people, and their abilities and values are shaped by how national teams compete in international competitions. Hong Kong gained a great deal of fame from reviving its famous rowing competitions, and there is no reason why other countries or territories could not revive or invent their own unique sport to reflect the characteristics of The place and life of its people (Athol2019). John and Lee also concluded that hosting international competitions such as the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup could have a significant impact on promoting and re-creating a global mentality for host countries (Jun, J.W. and Lee, H.M.2017). John's research concluded that international sporting events such as the World Cup and Korean sponsors of such events and the Olympic Games have had a positive effect on South Korea's image (Jun 2016). Kim also showed in a study that a sporting event such as the Olympics strengthens the host country's economy and also promotes the host country's brand (Kim2014). Jimmy also showed in a study that the sport of Taekwondo, the traditional martial arts in Korea, is one of the key factors in imagining 9 Korea (Jamie20201). The theory is that non-branded governments will have difficulty attracting foreign political and economic support. According to this theory, the image and reputation of any country will become an integral part of the latent and strategic values ​ ​ of that country. A strong and positive country brand acts as its competitive advantage in today's globalized economies (Olins, W. (2020). Countries and presenting a positive or negative image of them, the emptiness of how sports affect the field and conducting such studies in the field of branding as structural contexts to achieve a relevant strategy and planning seems necessary. A study of the researchers' findings shows that there is no accurate and appropriate model in sports, and this research has tried to address this shortcoming. The results of the above-mentioned researches and the views of experts have been used to gather the basic principles of the research subject. Since the need to pay attention to sports indicators affecting the country's brand is more visible than before, and on the other hand, in sports management, it is necessary to use valid information tools to collect comprehensive data, the researcher has decided. Is to provide a model of sports indicators affecting the country's brand in order to achieve the desired goals. Given the importance and essential role of sports in the promotion and development of the country, the present study intends to first answer these questions: What are the components and indicators of sports affecting the country's brand? Also, what is the optimal and executive model for the greater effectiveness of sports on the country's brand? Research methodology: The present study is one of the applied researches and development of tools and is field-based in terms of data collection and non-experimental in terms of controlling variables. The statistical population of this study was PhD students in Iran. In this study, stratified random sampling and the number of samples were performed based on Morgan table and the number of statistical samples in this study was 144 people. This research was conducted between 1399 and 1400. This study used a researcher-made questionnaire to collect data after reviewing documents and interviewing doctoral students. Thus, books, articles and dissertations required in various sites and scientific databases to complete the theoretical literature of the research were referred to. In this study, a researcher-made questionnaire was used to achieve the research objectives. For inferential analysis of data using SPSS 22 and 8.7 LISREL statistical software and first-order confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the validity of the structure. Based on the results of factor analysis, 50 items were confirmed, of which 9 questions (factors 1-9) in the dimension of sports tourism, 7 questions (factors 16-16) in the dimension of sports diplomacy, 8 questions (factors 17-24) In the sports-investment dimension, 10 questions (factors 35-34) In the sports-cultural dimension, 2 questions (factors 35-36) in the sports export dimension, 3 questions (factors 37-39) in the dimension Sports-People, 7 questions (factors 40-46) were in the dimension of sports success and 4 questions (factors 47-50) were in the field of media sports. All questions based on the Likert scale were 5 options from very high = 1 to very low = 5. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by 15 experts and the reliability was examined in a pilot study with 30 subjects and the reliability was calculated to be 0.909. In data analysis, in addition to calculating descriptive indices (including calculating frequency distribution tables, percentages and calculating central tendency and dispersion indices such as mean), inferential indices were calculated. 10 Research Findings: Descriptive results of this study showed that the average age of 144 participants in this study is 38 to 26 years, of which 11.11% (17 people) PhD students in sports physiology and 87.50% (127 students) PhD students in management They have been sports. Table 1: First, Pearson univariate correlation coefficients between the research variables were calculated and then the significance of the calculated correlation coefficients in the statistical population was tested. Therefore, t-test was used to test the significance of the correlation. According to the reported results, except for the two variables "sports export" and "sports success", the correlation coefficient between other research variables is significant at 95% confidence level. The highest significant correlation was reported between the variable "cultural sports" and the variable "sports achievements" (r = 0.76) and the lowest significant correlation coefficient between the variable "cultural sports" and the variable "sports exports" (r = 0.17) has been reported. In general, it is observed that the degree of correlation between the mentioned components is generally moderate and good. Table 1. Correlation of variables and their significance Dimensions Sp or tt ou ri sm Sp or ts di pl om ac y Sp or ts in ve st m en t sp or ty -c ul tu ra l Sp or ts ex po rt s P eo pl e- Sp or ts Sp or ts su cc es s M ed ia sp or ts Sport tourism1/00 Sports diplomacy0/601/00 Sports investment0/360/441/00 sporty-cultural0/620/730/371/00 Sports exports0/390/190/330/171/00 People-Sports0/640/640/320/720/251/00 Sports success0/590/640/290/760/070/751/00 Media sports0/410/410/570/410/480/480/341/00 * P <0/05 In order to check the suitability of the data for factor analysis, KMO test was used, the value of which always fluctuates between 0 and 1. The results of Table 2 show that the significant number of KMO for all variables is more than 0.7, so it can be said that the data are suitable for factor analysis. The Bartlett test was also used to ensure the appropriateness of the data that the correlation matrix that underlies the analysis is not equal to zero in the population. The results of Table 2 show the assurance of sampling adequacy; because the significance number of Bartlett test is (sig <0.05). 11 Table 2. Bartlett and Kaiser Meyer and Oaklyn (KMO) test results The results of confirmatory factor analysis of each of the research variables were obtained by LISREL software separately for each variable, the results of which are shown in Table 3. It should be noted that in order to reduce the variables and consider them as a variable, the resulting factor load must be greater than 0.3. Table 3. Parameters of confirmatory factor analysis of the first order of sports indicators affecting the country's brand FactorQuestionnumberQuestionT** Multiple correlation squares Sp or tt ou ri sm 1Holding tourist tours0/303/680/28 2The beauty and cleanliness ofsports venues0/7410/320/65 3Order in sports venues0/9514/770/79 4Presence of foreign sportsreporters0/7811/040/72 5Proper welfare serviceinfrastructure0/7410/270/69 6Visiting historical and culturalplaces0/516/500/45 7Visit the natural and climaticenvironment0/587/480/36 8Visit modern buildings0/637/860/52 9Possibility of camping forforeign teams in the country0/465/740/24 Sp or ts di pl om ac y10 Hosting international sporting events0/846/120/73 11Participation of sports teams ininternational competitions0/948/240/79 12Sports interactions withrenowned countries0/7010/530/69 13Holding friendly matches withthe best teams in the world0/4611/630/32 14Acquisition of internationalsports management seats0/946/820/56 RowVariableResults KMO Bartlett sphere results SquaredDegrees of freedom You have meaning 1Sport tourism0/763551/967360/000 2Sports diplomacy0/645297/190210/000 3Sports investment0/639394/197280/000 4sporty-cultural0/856778/331450/000 5Sports exports0/77619/63110/000 6People - Sports0/75378/66730/000 7Sports success0/763716/127210/000 8Media sports0/753118/65360/000 12 15Holding sports equipmentexhibitions0/925/540/88 16Hosting world-class refereeingand coaching classes0/355/540/32 Sports Investment 17Establishment of internationalsports schools0/319/120/28 18Attract global brand sponsors0/389/910/32 19Selling sports club stocks on thestock exchange0/6912/390/49 20Assignment of sports venues andfacilities on the stock exchange0/797/810/76 21 Encourage and facilitate the activities of transnational corporations 0/6810/240/54 22Reducing foreign sports debts0/8710/690/83 23Ensuring foreign investmentsecurity0/427/280/32 24Establish branches of largecommercial enterprises0/4712/730/41 Cultural sports 25Observe ethical issues and playfair0/9212/410/82 26Respect for human rights andcare for it0/8811/540/75 27Respect the competitor0/8310/390/69 28Respect for the referee and therules0/8510/850/78 29Do not doping players0/779/290/65 30Lack of time by players0/8711/090/63 31No harassment by players0/576/100/54 32Fair judgment of Iranian refereesat the international level0/749/060/72 33Observance of moral issues byspectators0/799/560/61 34Observance of ethical issues byplayers0/768/830/64 Sports exports 35Production and export of qualitysports goods0/839/750/78 36Establishment of internationalsports schools0/749/050/69 Popular sports 37Earn international titles0/759/250/67 38Involvement of players inphilanthropy0/638/580/49 39Proper hospitality and hospitality0/8710/900/81 Sports success 40Increasing the number of medalswon in international competitions0/7510/240/63 41Quality of medals received ininternational competitions0/638/120/56 42The presence of legionnaires inprestigious world leagues0/8712/960/78 43Presence of the country's coachesin prestigious world leagues0/8211/880/69 44Successful judging of judges inprestigious competitions0/8512/400/58 45The country's position in the0/8813/180/72 13 ranking of Olympic and Paralympic medals 46Earn top rankings in worldcompetitions0/8111/610/76 Media sports 47Activity of international newsnetworks0/769/600/65 48The influence of sports media inthe world0/9712/840/79 49Coverage of sports news byinternational media0/546/560/45 50Creativity in live broadcastcompetitions0/465/520/42 ** P <0/01 As can be seen in Table 4, all the indicators are reported to be very desirable and the model is very relative to the data, which indicates that the items are consistent with the theoretical structure and all the questions and the factor. The mentioned issues can be integrated in the questionnaire of sports indicators affecting the country's brand. Table 4. Fit indicators of confirmatory factor analysis of sports indicators affecting the country's brand Considering the conceptual and managerial logic and consulting with experts, the names and the final model for these sub-categories are presented. Figure 1. Model of structural equations of sports indicators affecting the country's brand Index namedf/(2)RMSEANFINNFICFIGFIAGF Value quality 1/900/072./910/900/940/940/92 14 According to the conceptual model, predictor variables (sports tourism indicators, sports diplomacy indicators, sports-investment indicators, sports-cultural indicators, sports export indicators, sports- people indicators, success indicators Sports, media sports indicators) directly and indirectly affect the criterion variable (country brand). The table below shows the amount of these coefficients1. Table 5. Coefficient and significance of direct, indirect effects of all predictor variables on criterion variable Variable forward Criterion variable Type of effectβ Statistics t Sports diplomacy Sports successdirect0/123/45* Sports Investmentdirect0/123/61* Sport Tourismdirect0/136/85* Media sports direct0/247/65* Indirect (through sporting success) 0/0203/12* Indirect (through sports investment) 0/0403/65* Indirect (via sports exports)0/0045/25* Total0/654*8/56 Country brand Indirect (through sporting success) 0/007*3/45 Indirect (via media sports)0/089*6/65 Indirect (through investment and media sports) 0/015*4/71 Indirect (through investment and export and media sports) 0/001*3/26 Total0/112*6/83 Cultural sports Sport Tourismdirect0/11*2/89 Media sports direct0/19*3/74 Indirect (via sports tourism)0/037*2/26 Total0/337*4/58 Country brandIndirect (via0/070*3/12 1In this model, SDI is equivalent to sports diplomacy, SCI cultural sports, SFI popular sports, SAI sports success, SII sports investment, SEI sports export, STI sports tourism, SMI media sports, BRAND brand of the country. 15 media sports) Indirect (via tourism and media sports) 0/014*2/89 Total0/084*6/52 Popular sports Sport Tourismdirect0/31*4/87 Media sportsdirect0/12*8/56 Country brand Indirect (via media sports)0/044*4/65 Indirect (via tourism and media sports) 0/039*4/36 Total0/513*8/65 Sports success Media sportsdirect0/17*6/65 Country brand Indirect (via media sports)0/063*5/63 Total0/233*7/52 Sports Investment Media sportsdirect0/33*6/54 Country brand Indirect (via media sports)0/12*4/65 Total0/45*7/49 Sports exports Media sportsdirect0/15*6/96 Country brand Indirect (via media sports)0/055*4/31 Total0/586*7/58 Sport Tourism Media sportsdirect0/34*6/53 Country brand Indirect (via media sports)0/126*4/63 Total0/466*8/69 Sports mediaCountry branddirect0/37*7/89 **P<0/05 Discussion and conclusion: The purpose of this study was to present a model of sports indicators affecting the country's brand. A country's reputation has a direct and measurable impact on various aspects of its relationship with other countries and plays a key role in its economic, social, political and cultural development. The country's reputation does not only help consumers make millions of daily purchases, It also influences larger decisions, for example, governments decide on foreign investment; International sports, entertainment and talent competitions decide which country or city will host their next event; Even governments choose their allies in times of international conflict (Athol2019). Dini (2008) mentions sports as key components of national identity and a tool to achieve the country's brand. Also in the field of national brand, "country" is equivalent to the brand umbrella and sports as a supporting brand and a subset of the country's brand. Maydand (Dinnie, 2018). In our age of global connectivity, branding can play an important role in helping developing countries or even superpowers to implement sustainable development programs, helping the country's brand to sustainable development Can be achieved by creating a positive image of a country that is responsible for environmental issues, and despite the fact that The concept of the country's brand is of particular importance, but the 16 community of researchers and human resource users have not provided the same definition and the issue of sports indicators affecting the country's brand has not been studied so far. The findings of the present study indicated that the data of this research have a good fit with the factor structure and theoretical foundation of the research in the developed model, and this indicates that the questions are in line with the theoretical structures of the research. In other words, the model used, It is a suitable model in sports indicators affecting the country's brand and factor loads with the ability to explain the country (nation) brand variable in 8 categories including sports diplomacy, sports culture, sports people, sports success, sports investment, sports exports, sports tourism and sports media Were divided and all direct relationships between model variables were significant. The results of the present study in the field of sports tourism are consistent with the results of research by Anhelt (2014), Dini (2008), Grip Esrood et al. (2017) and Rojas (2019). According to the results of research, 9 factors in the field of sports tourism affecting the country's brand, including order in sports venues, holding friendly and national sports competitions, the existence of appropriate service and welfare infrastructure in the country for foreign sports tourists, beauty and cleanliness in sports venues Hold friendly and national sports competitions and be effective. As one of the unique countries in the world in terms of climate and also due to its cultural, ancient, religious, medical and natural attractions, Iran can become a destination with high potential for the development of sports tourism. Planning on these attractions and directing sports tourists to these attractions is very useful and prevents wasting time, capital, budget and resources and human and material facilities, and creates a competitive advantage for our country against rival countries. (Rahbari 2017). Basically, a country needs to have an important strategy and planning in the tourism sector in order to acquire a brand, competitive identity and a proper image of itself (Anholt 2017). In this regard, it is suggested that national managers pay special attention to this important issue and develop Necessary for the presence of tourists with satisfaction, in addition to attracting more sports tourists to provide the ground for further introduction of the country and ultimately present a positive image that will lead to a stronger brand of the country. The results of the present study in the field of sports diplomacy are consistent with the results of the research of Anhelt (2017), Kowalski (2016) and Rojas (2019). Sports in international competitions, holding friendly matches with the best teams in the world, etc. are effective. Regarding the index of hosting international events, the results of the present study are similar to the results of research by Heslop (2019), Anhelt (2017), Flork and Inesch (2021) and Xing and Chalip (2016). Sports diplomacy has emerged alongside the public diplomacy of countries to pay special attention to the position of sports, sports teams and athletes in conveying the message of one nation to other nations. In addition, in the international system, where countries seek to increase their power, wealth, status and prestige, sport is an appropriate and accessible tool to achieve these goals. The financial gains and advances of major events in host cities are among the resources that sports organizations and even governments are diligently pursuing (Deknop 2009,). Each of the major sporting events, such as the Olympics, the World Cup, and continental competitions such as the Asian Games, are five or four stars in quality, indicating the importance of the major sporting events industry in the world. In some cases, even the company Sports teams in international competitions will increase a country's brand (Preuss, 2014). According to the above, using the country with appropriate sports diplomacy and in parallel with the mentioned indicators will help to promote the image and brand of the country and the realization of this important component with proper planning and attention of policy makers in sports The country will not be realized. The results of the present study in the field of sports investment are consistent with the results of research by Anhelt (2014), Kalamova (2017) and Rojas (2019). , Guaranteeing the security of foreign investment, establishing branches of large commercial enterprises, etc. are effective. Although branding is not a new topic for societies and countries with the aim of attracting foreign direct investment, but due to the effects of globalization, this issue has attracted a lot of growth and 17 attention. To attract foreign direct investment, It is necessary to brand the country in such a way as to make it a suitable place for investment (Vicente 2013). From this perspective, branding is an important tool and the image of a country is one of the prerequisites and necessities for investment and entry into export markets (Domeisen 2018). In the cultural-sports dimension and its impact on the country's brand, the results of this research are in line with the results of Barisik (2014), Goodjanson (2015), Anhelt (2014) and Rojas (2019). In this dimension, 10 indicators such as respect for rights Humanity and diligence in the country's sports, observance of ethical issues and fair play by athletes at the international level, respect for the referee and regulations by players and team staff, etc. were identified that can affect the country's brand. The role of culture in the promotion of a country is often considered an important issue, and looking at the presentation and introduction of culture as a requirement is nothing but not understanding its power to exchange the true spirit and essence of a country. In fact, culture plays an essential role in the process of enriching a country's reputation and guiding public acceptance towards a more complete and enduring understanding of the country and its values. The information culture is lighter for the national image than for brands, even if it is slower. Culture also includes sport Sport, like art, music, architecture and film, is part of the culture and cultural heritage of a society. In the mind of the consumer, culture acts in many different ways as a metaphor of personality, and through its cultural organization, people infer a great deal of information about the inner qualities of a nation, and in this regard sport equals power. , Courage, physical strength, agility, will, team spirit, pride, fair play, etc. (Athol2019). The identified indicators in the cultural-sports dimension of this research can be effective in introducing the rich culture of the country at the national and international level through sports and provide a positive image of our country. The sports export dimension is one of the dimensions affecting the country's brand that was identified in this study and is consistent with the results of research by Anhelt (2014), Dini (2008) and Rojas (2019). In this dimension, two factors of production and export of quality sports goods and the establishment of international sports schools affect the country's brand. Knowing where a product is made increases or decreases the likelihood of buying it, and a country's image and brand can play a major role in developing its exports, and brand-based exports are the most powerful way to create and Preservation of national prestige (Masoomzadeh2019). Therefore, considering the position and importance of branding and branding in international and transnational markets and creating competitive power due to branding, as well as the role of developing sports exports in the country's brand, unfortunately we have done very little in branding and branding, especially for sports goods. And perhaps it is better to accept that nothing has been done and that a national and comprehensive determination is necessary to be as strong as possible in international markets (Abbasi M. Iranmanesh2020). The results of the present study in the sports-popular dimension are consistent with the results of the research of Anhelt (2014), Rojas (2019) and Nourbani (2015). Internationally, the participation of sports players and celebrities in charitable and public affairs at home and abroad, and the appropriate hospitality and hospitality of sports tourists affect the country's brand. When any citizen can become an ambassador for their country or city, one can really expect a change to happen. The director of the Interbrand Institute considers the people to be the most important element in branding the country, not the places (Masoomzadeh2019). Have their own country (Gilmore, 2019). Therefore, according to the rich culture of our country, all the people of our society, including sports celebrities and other people, can be representatives of influencing the promotion of the country's brand by transmitting the original concepts of Iranian culture. The results of the present study in the field of media sports are consistent with the results of the research of Florek and Inche (2011), Vincent (2017) and Ney (2019). The sports media in the world, the coverage of the country's sports news by the international media, and innovation and creativity in the live broadcast of competitions 18 from inside the country to other countries were effective on the country's brand. In the contemporary world, the media are inextricably linked to society. Therefore, in shaping public opinion, providing the grounds for stability and socio-political balance and criticizing and evaluating the policies of those in charge in various fields, including sports, have a major role. Sports media can play an important role in advancing national goals if they operate on the basis of a national approach and a pre-defined task. Anhelt believes that a media analysis of a country's brands provides us with more accurate information about their brand because countries' reputation and imagery are more related to the coverage and coverage of the media they receive. ¬ .بود Accordingly, there is an index called East- West Country Brand Perception (EWNBPI) that ranks countries based on how they are portrayed and perceived at the international media level. Following the success of the 2013 Athens Olympics in Greece, Michael Payne, Director of Marketing at the International Olympic Committee at the Athens Games, blamed media reports and images of the Olympics for reviving the Greek brand. Therefore, sports media, including press, radio and television, to play a better role, must have sufficient economic and financial resources and trained personnel specialized in various sports to be able to provide professional analysis and research and provide a way. ¬ Executive actions and proposals, pave the way for the promotion of the country's brand level and thus, by strengthening and consolidating national pride and solidarity, facilitate the achievement of national goals and interests. In terms of sports success, 7 indicators such as increasing the number of medals won in international competitions, the quality of medals received in international competitions, the country's position in the ranking of Olympic and Paralympic medals, etc. are among the factors. The impact on the country's brand has been confirmed, which is consistent with the results of research by Graix (2014), Hot (2016) and Kubirsky (2017). Success in sports can increase international prestige and promote a country's brand to Brought along. In today's world, powerful countries use their sporting victories and successes to promote their country's brand, and weaker countries try to be seen more internationally through such successes. It has been hypothesized that the number of medals won in the Olympics can be an indicator of a country's brand promotion (Kobierecki, 2017). Therefore, by increasing sports success in the identified indicators and using them, we should seize the opportunity and take the necessary advantage to present a strong and positive image of the country to witness the growth of our country's brand. In the final conclusion, it can be stated that the presented model with 8 dimensions of sports tourism, sports export, popular sports, sports achievements, media sports, cultural sports, sports diplomacy and sports investment, is a suitable theoretical model. It is effective for sports indicators on the country's brand. Therefore, it can be used in trying to develop the country's brand through sports. Also according to the topics mentioned, The goal of branding a country is to promote and improve the image and reputation of that country, which can be achieved only through written and applicable actions and strategies (Dinnie, KJ (2018)) and the creation of a brand from one country to policies and policies. (Anholt, 2016) and the country's actions include national policy, decisions and careful planning of officials and organizations in the fields of politics, economics, science and technology, sports and culture (Florek, 2015) . Research suggestions: It is suggested to use the identified dimensions and indicators of this research as criteria for sports planning in order to promote the country's reputation and brand, as well as proper hosting of sports competitions at the international level, media development Domestic and international sports such as the effective use of relevant websites, the use of popular coaches and referees in international competitions, the provision of special services to sports tourists in the field of sports tourism, increasing the quality of national teams and A club in order to create a positive image of the country, provide suitable conditions for foreign investment in the country's sports, build and equip modern and 19 quality sports venues, and finally formulate, implement and monitor sports planning in order to Creating a positive sports image of the country can turn Iran into a brand in the name of its name. References Anholt, S. and GMI (2017). 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