ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to identify the scope and diversity of Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) initiatives operating in Mexico, providing an overview of the Sportland field in the country. The systematic analysis was conducted following the methods proposed by Svensson and Woods. Findings showed there was a boom of NGOs and community-based organisations delivering SDP programming in Mexico between 2007 and 2017 featuring properties of developmental interventionism. SDP programming was delivered in partnership with business corporations, the Mexican government, international funding agencies and national universities. Organisations targeting children, youth or both represented a total of 88% of the SDP entities in the study. It was found in a concentration of SDP organisations in urban settings, mainly in capital cities across the country, suggesting that Sportland agents operating in Mexico may be working within bubbles of networks and resources. Soccer, boxing and martial arts were the sports of preference. Education was the primary focus of more than half of the SDP organisations. There was a lack of evidence provided by the organisations under analysis to support the results they reported. Further research is needed to help us understand the link between sports practices with reported or intended outcomes.
