Cem Abanazir

Dr. Cem Abanazir is a Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, specializing in sports law, human rights, and esports governance. He transitioned from a legal career at the Turkish Football Federation to academia, earning an LLM in Intellectual Property and the Digital Economy from the University of Glasgow and a PhD from Universitat Pompeu Fabra. His research focuses on the intersection of law, ethics, and sport, particularly athlete expression, transnational legal frameworks, and equity in esports.

Dr. Abanazir’s notable works include the monograph Political Expression in Sport: Transnational Challenges, Moral Defences (2023) and contributions to Routledge Handbook of Esports (2024) and Social Issues in Esports (2023). His research bridges philosophy, legal theory, and sociology to address governance challenges in sport and esports.

His academic outputs emphasize equity, inclusion, and the ethical dimensions of sport. He actively engages with issues like institutionalisation of esports, Olympic Movement integration, and freedom of expression within sport contexts.