Tuesday , 19 March 2024


Our athletic future. Is there any? by Nikos Choutas

by Nikos Choutas

The new realities that shaped the crisis, in almost eight years violently alter the terms and conditions of cultivation and development of sport in our country. If one considers that eleven years ago the country successfully organized the Olympic Games, a labyrinthine and complex task, then this assumption raises very serious concerns. Releases from abroad registering with vibrant colors the status of the Greek sports are talks of free fall.

In autumn 2012, at a press conference the presidents of sports federations-members of the Hellenic Olympic Committee raised questions related to sport prospects in the country, given that the projected budget line in 2013 stood at 0.007% . In this context he highlighted that "sport is not a luxury but a social need, as world statistics shows that costs one million euros in sports you save 7 million euros for health expenditure. Or, conversely, losing one million euros from the sport calls for 7 million euros to health. " The relevant budget line was in 2011, 117.8 million euros in 2012 decreased to 99.6 million euros to reach in 2013 to just 66.6 million euros. Noted that the government grant relates inelastic expenses of the General Secretariat for Sports of bodies and federations covering purely sporting activity, 750,000 active athletes in clubs and sportswomen with athletic potential categories reach 1.5 million people. These data must take into account that while almost all fields and sectors of public policies have been in recent years completed proposals and studies aimed at exploring their perspectives in sport there insouciance. As understood by the Greek athletics, runs the risk of a long decline. This is uncertain, because it shows not continually makes noise to the central authority.

In this direction it is necessary to organize a symposium with the participation of sports world of the country that will have the future of the Greek sport. For a more complete approach to the question is necessary precise knowledge of the current situation in the field of sport fraternal facing major challenges. It is more than acceptable that the functional structure and organization needs immediate total redesign on the basis of the needs and possibilities of the time, which presupposes first to have a public debate organized form. An element for example highlighted by the difficult economic situation of recent years is the use of collaborative solutions and shapes between sports federations-associations and bodies of local government or private parties as a convenient way to ensure the smooth development of sports in the country.

About Nikos Choutas

Nikos Choutas is PhD c. of Political Science and History at Panteion University, Greece

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