Managing International Sport-for-Development

This book critically examines the multifaceted role of sport in global development. It analyses the potential of sport in facilitating social transformation and addresses the challenges of implementing and managing complex projects across diverse cultural and political landscapes.

Drawing on the author’s 20 years’ experience of research and practice in sport-for-development across six continents, the book presents in-depth case studies from Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Belarus, Ukraine, Albania, Thailand, Honduras, and Bolivia. Featuring original ethnographic research and a broad range of interviews, the book explores key issues in sport-for-development including postcolonial dynamics, health crises, migration, peacebuilding, youth development, gender equality, and the ethics of volunteerism. Offering a balanced perspective on the potential, effectiveness, and limitations of using sport as a tool for development, the book advocates for sustainable, culturally sensitive, and locally driven approaches.

Featuring important perspectives on research, methodology, ethics, implementation and practice, this book is essential reading for any advanced student, researcher, or practitioner with an interest in sport development, sport management, football studies, development studies, or the wider relationships between sport and society.

Joel Rookwood is Director of the Sport and Exercise Management programme at University College Dublin, Ireland. He is Co-chair of the Football Collective, a global network of applied football researchers and practitioners. Joel has worked extensively in sport-for-development, leading educational, peacebuilding initiatives across six continents. His research interests include international development, sports mega-events, international relations, the football industry, and sports governance. His latest books include Football, Development and Peace: Local Projects in Global Contexts (Routledge, 2026), Sport, Peace and Development: Critical Global Challenges (2025), Sports Fanaticism on Social Media Platforms: Security Implications and Counter-Policy (2025), and The Sport Mega Events of the 2020s: Governance, Impacts and Controversies (Routledge, 2024).