Sustainable Development Through Sport: Barriers and Strategies

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively analyze sustainable development through sport and identify its barriers and strategies. The method of the present study was qualitative research in terms of purpose and type of strategy which used the grounded theory approach to present the results. The research participants included 21 elites (including faculty members, senior managers in the Ministry of Sport and Youth and Sports Federations, experts, sports coaches and former national team players). The data were collected through exploratory interviews. The criterion for completing the data collection was theoretical saturation. In order to data analysis, Glaser's (1992) Emergent approach was used and this process was performed through three open, axial and selective coding processes. In examining the barriers to sustainable development through sport, 47 independent codes and 11 concepts that formed three general categories (cognitive-knowledge, structural and legal-managerial barriers) were identified and classified. Also, in the Strategies 35 codes and 10 concepts were extracted and categorized into three general categories (Perceptual-Communication, Economic-Structural, and Functional Strategies). The results of this study can be taken into consideration in the macro planning of the country as well as the development plans of the sports sector. Also, by focusing on removing the barriers and adopting strategies derived from this research, we can pave the way for achieving the country's sustainable development goals.