Some people say that the 1976 Olympics in Montreal were the last time that sports were strictly amateur. Juan Antonio Samaranch, who was the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the time, asked American billionaire Peter Ueberroth to plan the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was the first to start the IOC’s TOP program, allowing global sponsors to market the Olympic Games. He also made the Games the most profitable in history, with over $250 million in sponsorship—reflecting trends like the rise of recreational sports leagues.
The years 1970–1980 were also a turning point for the sports sector as a whole, just like the IOC. It has to deal with the fact that its operations are becoming more varied, that the commercial sector is getting in the way, that sports are becoming more professional, and that there are more sports that aren’t governed by the usual rules of sports federations. From the second part of the 19th century until the 1970s, sports grew in a closed atmosphere based on amateurism, which meant they didn’t have to follow the same rules as everyone else in the real world.
International sports federations
But since the early 1970s, more and more people interested in the sports phenomenon have formed a constellation that the sports federations can’t get away from. Of course, this ecosystem comprises more than simply sports; it also covers the legal, social, and economic spheres on a global scale. The 1970s are also the start of big changes in Belgium’s institutions that would eventually turn the country from a unitary state to a federal state. Each of these sectors will have a big effect on the future of Belgian sports federations.
The current Weekly Newsletter gives a full, in-depth look at Belgium’s sports federation from several angles. The first chapter looks at the sports phenomena from the political, legal, economic, and social points of view in both a global and European context. Chapter 2 talks on the sports system in Belgium. The first two chapters look at how well the sports system works as a whole.
The Olympic movement
The third chapter answers this subject from the right and specific point of view of the Belgian sports federations. Before getting into the details of this investigation, it is helpful to find out where sports practice takes place in Belgium. The European Union’s 2009 Eurobarometer on sports and physical activity found that 16% of Belgians frequently do sports or physical exercise, which is more than the European average of 9%. They only play it at a sports club 15% of the time, which is less than the average in Europe (11%).
As the sport became more popular, rules and structures were put in place to help organize the times of athletic events and plan sports practices. This is how the modern sports movement began: it wasn’t pointless because it was required to regulate sports and hold tournaments first at the national level and then at the international level. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international sports federations are examples of supranational sports organizations that have grown up because of the necessity to bring countries together for international sporting events and the creation of universal sports regulations.
International sports framework
We can also see the slow growth of continental institutions that connect business or public entities on a continental scale. The IOC is the symbol of the worldwide sports movement and is in charge of putting on the contemporary Olympics. This global sports system not only makes huge and widespread networks of sporting events all over the world, but it also keeps a close eye on them. International sports organizations also try to uphold the ideals, principles, and spirit of sports in general. National Olympic committees and national sports organizations are two groups that aim to propagate these ideas and ideals throughout the country.
There are three main points. The second group would be public institutions. Third, there are the regulatory bodies, such as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). All of these groups affect the activities of athletes, no matter what level they play at.
Conclusion
A brief look Some people would say that the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal were the last of the rigorous amateurism period in sports. Juan Antonio Samaranch, who had been elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by then, asked American billionaire Peter Ueberroth to plan the 1984 Los Angeles Games in 1980. He started the IOC TOP program, which gives sponsors global marketing rights to the Olympic Games. He also led the most successful Games, which made over $250 million in profits (funded by the private sector).
The years 1970–1980 were a moment of real change for the global sports world, just like they were for the IOC. It has to deal with concerns like professionalizing sports, the rise of sports played outside of established sports unions, the breaking up of sports practices, and the involvement of business people. From the middle of the 1800s to the 1970s, sports grew in a private world where amateurism ruled and athletes didn’t have to follow the same rules as everyone else.