Nicaraguan Sport Ideology

Abstract

This paper argues that an examinaton of the tenets of Sandinista sport ideology ought to give the reader some idea of the political and social system of contemporary Nicaragua. After reviewing the background and ideology of the Nicaraguan revolution, material from an interview with the Director of the Nicaraguan Institute of Sport is used to elaborate five fundamental themes of sport ideology. Sport in Nicaragua is seen as a means to help integrate the society; there is a desire to gain widespread participation in and "massification" of sport; there is emphasis on local involvement and organization; there is a desire to engender a collective mentality; and there is no intention of using sport to distract the people from the serious problems facing Nicaragua. The work concludes by noting that in sport the record of Nicaragua's actions is different from the perceptions of the Reagan administration that Nicaragua is another Cuba.