ABSTRACT
Leaders and spokespersons for sporting international non-governmental organisations (SINGOs), especially the major ones, have hardly ever presented themselves as mere officials of organisations concerned with recreational activities. People are realists enough to acknowledge that in politics and in business – and SINGOs are involved in both – it is sometimes charisma and corruption and egotism and messianic belief which succeed. SINGOs have been able to circumvent the normal structures of political and commercial power by treating states and the concomitant national associations as equals and by rewarding those who would otherwise have little power. Clientalism and corruption have been made easier in the SINGO world by a substantial deficit of accountability mechanisms. It has been a time of early seismic movement in the working of the SINGO system and of the contradictions and fragilities. SINGOs have been able to achieve their objectives because states have found it to be in their interests to comply to a SINGO agenda.
