ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the challenges of the governance of sport in Latin America with a focus on the Brazilian sport system. The governance of sport across Latin America has been traditionally led and influenced by local governments’ efforts as well as international non-governmental organisations. The Brazilian sport system is comprised of a number of public, private and voluntary non-profit stakeholders that interact throughout a complex network and exert different degrees of power in the governance of sport. Political pressure exerted by athletes through the organisation Atletas pelo Brasil has also been a major influence contributing to change the sport legislation of Brazil as well as the way sport organisations are run. The extent of influence that international governing bodies rules and procedures have on a specific country’s sport policies often depends on how much needs to be negotiated between the country and the sport ruling body.
