Community Engagement and National Branding in Post-Pandemic Sport Events: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia

Tandiyo Rahayu; Yulingga Nanda Hanief; Billy Castyana; Kalam Azad Isa; Aileen Fedora Pakasi

doi:10.54141/psbd.1833562

Community Engagement and National Branding in Post-Pandemic Sport Events: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia

Abstract

This study examines how community involvement influences national branding in the post-pandemic era by comparing participant experiences from two international sporting events in Indonesia and Malaysia. The research aims to understand how interactions with local communities, cultural encounters, and service-related experiences shape participants’ perceptions of the host countries. A qualitative research design was used, involving 45 participants from eight countries who took part in the MesaStila 100K Ultra Marathon (Indonesia) and the Tour de Langkawi (Malaysia). Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires and follow-up clarification interviews, then analyzed using qualitative content analysis supported by NVivo software. The findings reveal five key themes: community support and interaction, cultural immersion and local identity, service and event experience, national branding through event atmosphere, and the sharing of values through post-event reflection. The results show that the event experience in Indonesia was characterized by strong community warmth and deep cultural engagement, while the experience in Malaysia was characterized by service efficiency and organizational professionalism. These differences shaped distinct impressions of national branding among participants. The study concludes that community involvement plays a crucial role in shaping national branding during international sporting events, especially in the post-pandemic context, where authentic cultural interaction and local participation enrich the overall event experience. These insights offer practical implications for event organizers and policymakers seeking to strengthen national identity and global reputation through sporting events.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This research was funded by Universitas Negeri Semarang through the International Collaborative Research Scheme.

Project Number

1.23.5/UN37/PPK.06/2022

Ethical Statement

This research complies with the Declaration of Helsinki. The research, permission was obtained from the Ethics Committee Chair (State University of Semarang Ethics Committee, Issue Number: 13.5.25/UN32.6.5.2/AK/2024, Date: 21/03/2024) about the ethical suitability of the study.

Thanks

The authors express their sincere appreciation to all participants and supporting institutions that contributed to this study. Special acknowledgment is extended to Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) for their academic collaboration and assistance in data collection and analysis. The authors also thank the individuals and organizations who provided constructive feedback that helped improve the quality of this manuscript.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Sports Activity Management

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Tandiyo Rahayu
0000-0002-8690-6377
Indonesia

Yulingga Nanda Hanief ^*
0000-0003-2791-9845
Indonesia

Billy Castyana
0000-0001-8041-3654
South Korea

Kalam Azad Isa
0000-0001-6637-6498
Malaysia

Aileen Fedora Pakasi
0000-0001-5388-4979
Indonesia

Early Pub Date

July 31, 2026

Publication Date

-

Submission Date

December 8, 2025

Acceptance Date

May 4, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: Advanced Online Publication

DOI

https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1833562

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA33EM24FP

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Rahayu, T., Hanief, Y. N., Castyana, B., Isa, K. A., & Pakasi, A. F. (2026). Community Engagement and National Branding in Post-Pandemic Sport Events: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1833562

AMA

1.Rahayu T, Hanief YN, Castyana B, Isa KA, Pakasi AF. Community Engagement and National Branding in Post-Pandemic Sport Events: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2026;(Advanced Online Publication). doi:10.54141/psbd.1833562

Chicago

Rahayu, Tandiyo, Yulingga Nanda Hanief, Billy Castyana, Kalam Azad Isa, and Aileen Fedora Pakasi. 2026. “Community Engagement and National Branding in Post-Pandemic Sport Events: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, no. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1833562.

EndNote

Rahayu T, Hanief YN, Castyana B, Isa KA, Pakasi AF (July 1, 2026) Community Engagement and National Branding in Post-Pandemic Sport Events: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences Advanced Online Publication

IEEE

[1]T. Rahayu, Y. N. Hanief, B. Castyana, K. A. Isa, and A. F. Pakasi, “Community Engagement and National Branding in Post-Pandemic Sport Events: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia”, Pamukkale J Sport Sci, no. Advanced Online Publication, July 2026, doi: 10.54141/psbd.1833562.

ISNAD

Rahayu, Tandiyo - Hanief, Yulingga Nanda - Castyana, Billy - Isa, Kalam Azad - Pakasi, Aileen Fedora. “Community Engagement and National Branding in Post-Pandemic Sport Events: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences. Advanced Online Publication (July 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1833562.

JAMA

1.Rahayu T, Hanief YN, Castyana B, Isa KA, Pakasi AF. Community Engagement and National Branding in Post-Pandemic Sport Events: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2026. doi:10.54141/psbd.1833562.

MLA

Rahayu, Tandiyo, et al. “Community Engagement and National Branding in Post-Pandemic Sport Events: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, no. Advanced Online Publication, July 2026, doi:10.54141/psbd.1833562.

Vancouver

1.Tandiyo Rahayu, Yulingga Nanda Hanief, Billy Castyana, Kalam Azad Isa, Aileen Fedora Pakasi. Community Engagement and National Branding in Post-Pandemic Sport Events: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2026 Jul. 1;(Advanced Online Publication). doi:10.54141/psbd.1833562