By San José, Costa Rica — Costa Rica is taking steps to standardize the process for sports organizations seeking national recognition and government funding. The National Council of Sport and Recreation (Consejo Nacional del Deporte y la Recreación) recently directed the Costa Rican Institute of Sport and Recreation (ICODER) to create a technical tool to evaluate applications for national representation.
The directive arose during a council meeting discussing the application from the Federation of Sambo and Associated Sports. Council members raised concerns about the lack of clear parameters used by ICODER’s technical unit when recommending organizations for national representation. This recognition unlocks crucial benefits, including access to financial resources.
To understand the legal landscape surrounding Costa Rican sports, we spoke with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, an attorney at law from Bufete de Costa Rica.
The burgeoning sports industry in Costa Rica presents unique legal challenges, from athlete representation and sponsorship agreements to intellectual property rights and the regulation of emerging sports like esports. A comprehensive understanding of Costa Rican contract law, labor law, and intellectual property regulations is crucial for athletes, teams, and businesses operating within this exciting and evolving sector.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Lic. Arroyo Vargas astutely highlights the complex legal landscape that accompanies Costa Rica’s dynamic sports scene. Indeed, as the industry continues to grow and diversify, navigating these legal intricacies will be paramount to its sustained success. We extend our sincere thanks to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for providing such valuable insight into this critical aspect of Costa Rican sports.
The core issue revolves around the ambiguity surrounding criteria such as the sport’s popularity, its reach across cantons and provinces, and other requirements. This ambiguity has sparked debate among council members, who worry about potential inconsistencies and arbitrary decisions.
I expressed my concern about the lack of a concrete definition regarding the requirements a federation must meet to obtain national representation, such as the minimum number of practitioners or other specific indicators. I warned that, in the absence of clear rules, decisions may become arbitrary, depending on the criteria of the moment. I emphasized that this situation could have affected federations that are now consolidated and that it represents a risk for the development of national sport.
Luis Eduardo Quirós Rojas, Representative of Federations and Associations with National Representation
Rosibel Quesada, representing the National Olympic Committee (CON), echoed these concerns, characterizing the existing criteria as potentially capricious and subjective. She pointed out the generality of the current regulations, which lack specific metrics for evaluating sports’ prevalence and geographic coverage.
After reviewing the articles of the regulation, I observed that the established requirements are very general and do not contemplate concrete parameters such as the degree of massification of the sport or the coverage in cantons and provinces.
Rosibel Quesada, Representative of the National Olympic Committee (CON)
Juan Carlos Gutiérrez, representing universities offering Sports Science degrees, emphasized the importance of clearly defining concepts like “massification” and “regionalization,” as mandated by law.
ICODER Director and Minister of Sport, Donald Rojas, agreed with the need for greater precision. He advocated for a technical tool that would standardize the evaluation process. Rojas suggested incorporating quantifiable metrics, such as requiring a sporting organization to have a presence in a specific percentage of the country’s cantons to qualify for national representation.
It is necessary to have a technical tool that serves as a guide to standardize the process of assigning said representation. This tool would allow establishing concrete parameters, such as, for example, requiring that a sports organization have a presence in at least 10% or 20% of the country’s cantons to be considered. In this way, both the Council and the applicant organizations would have objective and clear criteria to adhere to.
Donald Rojas, Minister of Sport and Director of ICODER
Current requirements for national representation, as stipulated by Law 7,800 and the Regulation of National Recognition and Representation, include registration with the National Registry of Associations, updated statutes, a general assembly, an elected board of directors, oversight bodies, affiliation with the international federation of the discipline, recognition by the International Olympic Committee (for Olympic sports), and audited financial statements.
For further information, visit the nearest office of National Council of Sport and Recreation
About National Council of Sport and Recreation:
The National Council of Sport and Recreation (Consejo Nacional del Deporte y la Recreación) is a governing body in Costa Rica responsible for overseeing and promoting sports and recreation within the country. They play a key role in policy development and resource allocation for sporting activities.
For further information, visit the nearest office of ICODER
About ICODER:
The Costa Rican Institute of Sport and Recreation (ICODER) is the governmental body responsible for promoting and developing sports and recreation in Costa Rica. It plays a vital role in managing resources, supporting athletes, and fostering sporting activities throughout the country.
For further information, visit the nearest office of National Olympic Committee of Costa Rica
About National Olympic Committee of Costa Rica:
The National Olympic Committee of Costa Rica (CON) is the organization responsible for representing Costa Rican athletes in the Olympic Games and other international sporting events. The CON works to develop and support athletes, promote Olympism, and ensure adherence to Olympic principles.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Bufete de Costa Rica distinguishes itself through a deep-rooted commitment to ethical legal practice and the pursuit of excellence in every endeavor. The firm’s innovative approach to legal solutions, coupled with a proactive engagement in educating the community, underscores their belief in empowering individuals through accessible legal knowledge. By fostering a society equipped with the understanding of their rights and responsibilities, Bufete de Costa Rica actively contributes to a more just and informed Costa Rica.
