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SOFT POWER INDEX EXTENSION: THE CASE OF THE INFLUENCE OF LITHUANIAN BASKETBALL
Vilma Cingiene, Mindaugas Damijonaitis, Diana Komskiene

ABSTRACT.The aim of the article is to analyse the development of Soft power index (based on IfG Monocle Soft Power Index) in measuring sport on the case of influence of Lithuanian basketball. The tasks: 1) Current academic research regarding the topic will be reviewed. 2) The case of Lithuania's basketball influence on state's soft power will be analyzed to prove that current Index is insufficient. 3) In accordance with a chosen in-depth case study, Soft Power Index will be improved by including additional indicators and making other amendments that would help to measure soft power of sport more precisely. Therefore, the new Soft Power Index developed with regard to Lithuania's case allows to measure sport as a soft power resource among states more precisely embracing modified calculations of football and Olympics, additionally taking basketball, tennis, international sporting events and most popular sport arts coaches' activities. 

KEYWORDS: sport, soft power, index, basketball.

JEL classification: L52, L83, O21, O38.