Dr. Mahfoud Amara
“The key to development is not rooted in material wealth or economic prosperity, but rather in humans themselves,” Malek Bennabi once said.
When we think of elite sport, what often comes to mind is performance - how many medals are won, championships achieved, and trophies raised. This is one way to measure success, as it reflects the big investment made in clubs and national teams. Significant investment is allocated for salaries, training camps, competitions, and sport science provision, including modern equipment for coaching, injury prevention and recovery, as well as good psychological preparation and nutrition.
But the amount of money invested can be different. Team sports, especially men’s sports with football being the most popular, usually get more resources at the senior level (less for the young categories). On the other hand, individual sports often get less funding, even though they are very important for winning medals at big events like the Olympics. Sports like Track and Field, Swimming, and Gymnastics give higher chances for medals per athlete compared to football, where 22 players compete for one medal. Football gets more cash because of widespread popularity, drawing larger audiences, significant media coverage, and thus, more business interest. Additionally, football significantly contributes to the economy through job creation and fan engagement on local, national, and international scales.
However, if we only look at financial dimension and performance, we do not see the full picture of elite sport. In truth, elite sport is like an ecosystem. We often forget the human side of the elite athlete’s life, which is beyond training, competition, and financial incentives.
To truly support an athlete’s success, we need to embrace a holistic approach to their well-being. This means not just a fair salary, but recognising that being an elite athlete is a full-time job. Athletes often need to give 10-20 years of their life to their sport to reach the highest levels.
It’s crucial to provide educational opportunities for these athletes, particularly the young ones, across all levels, including higher education. An education system should acknowledge the unique status of these athletes, allowing them to access education and earn university degrees while representing their sport and country in continental and international competitions.
We also need to think about life after sports. Most athletes stop competing in their thirties, or sometimes even earlier because of injuries. And not all of them can become coaches or get media consultancy roles. Collaborations between National Olympic Committees, Sport Federations, and other public and private entities should provide flexible training, vocational, and certification courses, as well as investment placement programs to prepare athletes for the job market post-career
Lastly, we must not forget the gender disparities in sports and the challenges faced by women athletes, particularly in terms of resources and media exposure. In short, we cannot expect athletes to perform at the highest level and measure their success only by numbers. In short, we cannot expect athletes to perform at an international level and measure their performance solely quantitatively without creating an environment centered on the human side of sport, which should be the heart of the elite sport ecosystem.
Dr. Mahfoud Amara is an Associate Professor in Sport Social Sciences and Management at Qatar University.
