Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Department of Sports Management, B.C., Islamic Azad University, Boroujerd, Iran
2 Professor, Department of Sports Management, Allameh Tabatabaei University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Sports Management, SA.C., Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran
Abstract
Abstract
The present study aims to design a governance model for sports diplomacy within the Kabaddi Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran—one that can enhance Iran’s role in regional and international interactions in this sport. The research is applied in purpose and qualitative in nature, employing the grounded theory approach. The participants included 22 individuals consisting of federation managers, national coaches, members of international committees, university professors specializing in sports management, and experts in sports policy, all selected through purposive and snowball sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed in three stages: open, axial, and selective coding. Findings revealed that the core phenomenon “governance of sports diplomacy” is influenced by a set of causal conditions, including regional strategic pressures, the political structure of sports governance in Iran, cultural and identity-based motivations, and the necessity of redefining the federation’s international role. This phenomenon emerges within a context shaped by the federation’s evolutionary structure, the economic condition of the sport, and regional political interactions. Meanwhile, factors such as managerial instability, limited international relations skills, weak media narrative construction, and political sensitivities act as intervening conditions that affect its trajectory. Accordingly, several strategic approaches were proposed: institutionalizing a sports diplomacy structure within the federation, developing specialized human capital, strengthening public diplomacy and international image-building, expanding targeted regional collaborations, and designing a monitoring and evaluation system for diplomatic activities.
Keywords
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