>>>What would be the level of recognition for a contest when most of the planet is excluded to participate in it?
>>>
>>>... not to mention any contest name here nor company name
>>>
>>>I mean, what about the winners, will they be really recognized as winners?
>>
>>I would only consider them being recognized as the best of only the countries eligible for participation, and nothing more. Just like the Major League Baseball World Series winner is only the best of the teams in those Leagues, and not representative of the World.
>
>This is an interesting point. However, I've been to a World contest before where contestants where coming from all over the world. There, the winners were recognized by the community.
>
>As for the World Series, it is a little bit different, because when a player is good, like a Japanese player, he'll be promoted to the Major Leagues. So, that player has a chance to participate because of his talent. So, there is no regional restriction.

But even you baseball example is true only if the Japanese player is playing in a USA base minor league and then promoted to the USA base majors; I know Canada has several teams in what I'm calling USA based. However, ia Japanese player playing in a Japan based league, and I understand there is at least one, will not play in the "World" Series.

Sometimes my countymen's USA-centric viewpoint can be embarassing. Once, in a "tea" mailing list I've joined, a person said they were traveling to Ireland and wanted to know of any tea rooms on the west coast. She was prompt provided with several in California, which I don't think is in Ireland :-)