Sport, policy and politics in Lebanon

Abstract

Lebanon offers an interesting context for the study of sport policy as there is a lack of literature on sport policies in developing countries, and particularly, in small- and multi-confessional societies. Hence, the aim of this study was to illustrate how the dynamic of power between the state and the political parties/confessional communities is reflected in the national sport system. In particular the paper seeks to provide some insight into the mechanism in place to implement the concept of ‘balance of power’ or so-called mosaic society within the national sport system, looking specifically at structure and resource allocation.

Keywords:

• Lebanon
• sport policy
• confessionalism
• political parties
• national sport system
• country-profile

Acknowledgement

This project could not have been accomplished without the support of the interviewees in Lebanon and Prof Michel Raspaud, ‘Sport et Environment Social’ Université Joseph Fourrier, Grenoble, France.

Notes

1. Interview with Adnane Hammoud, director of the Sport and Scout Unit of the Lebanese Ministry of Education, 18 March 2011.

2. Interview done on 26 March 2011 with an employee of the Lebanese Ministry of Education.

3. Interview with Nizar Gharib, President of the office of the training of the managerial staff in the Center of Education, development and research (this institution is under the guardianship of the Lebanese Ministry of Education, 7 April 2011.

4. Interview with Adnane Hammoud, director of the Sport and Scout Unit of the Lebanese Ministry of Education, 18 March 2011.

5. Interview with Andrée Nassour, administrator in the Lebanese Ministry of Youth and Sports, 18 December 2005.

6. Interview with Andrée Nassour, administrator in the Lebanese Ministry of Youth and Sports, 18 December 2005.

7. Interview with Hassan Chararah, advisor of the Lebanese Ministry of Youth and Sport, 18 March 2011.

8. Interview with George Nader, General Secretary of the Lebanese University Sport Federation, 24 March 2011.

9. Interview with Hassan Chararah, advisor of the Lebanese Ministry of Youth and Sport, 18 March 2011.

10. Interview with Adnane Hammoud, director of the Sport and Scout Unit of the Lebanese Ministry of Education, 18 March 2011.

11. Interview with Jihad Salame, candidate for the position of Youth and Sport Minister, 6 October 2011.

12. Interviews conducted with different Lebanese athletes from February to September 2003.

13. Interview with Jihad Salame, candidate for the position of Youth and Sport Minister, 19 November 2013.

14. Interview with Raymond Touma, Financing director of the Lebanese Ministry of Youth and Sports, 18 March 2011.

15. In terms of corruption, in the year 2009, Lebanon occupied the 133rd position among 180 in the list of the least corrupted countries by the International Transparency. In 2012, Lebanon occupied the 188th position (The Telegraph, 17 November 2009).

16. Interview with the deputy Simon Abi Ramia, President of the Lebanese Youth and Sports Parliament Committee, 19 February 2010.

17. Interview with Hassan Chararah, advisor of the Lebanese Ministry of Youth and Sport, 18 March 2011.

18. Interview with Jihad Salame, candidate for the position of Youth and Sport Minister, 6 October 2011.