ABSTRACT
In a country with a unique political system, 18 state-recognised sects, and a parliament shared equally by Muslims and Christians, Lebanon’s confessionalism and political division have deeply impacted the country’s sports organisations. This chapter analyses the power structures and the denominational configuration of the Lebanese sports scene. It focuses on the affiliation between politics and sports in federations, clubs and athletes. It illustrates the roots of these affiliations through the Lebanese history of sectarianism in sport. Additionally, it studies the process of feminisation in sports and its difficulties.
