The Danish Sports Scene - A Structural View

The Danish sports scene is - just as the rest of society - characterised by three important and interwoven sectors, Government, the Private Sector and Civil Society. In the latter the sports associations are primarily represented by three national organisations: The Danish Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (DIF), Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations (DGI) and The Danish Federation of Company Sports (DFIF).

In other words, sport in Denmark is not organised in a single national sports organisation as is the case in most countries. The reason for this is the fact that the ideas and objectives of sports organisations never are the same, and therefore the local associations should have a choice as to how they want to shape and organise their activities, including which national organisation they wish to belong to.

In a very interesting and, perhaps, unique situation seen in a global perspective, the three national organisations each receive substantial funds from the government, yet they maintain an almost complete level of independence in relation to their respective goals and programmes.

Between them the three sports associations receive around DKK 500 million p.a. - funds which are channelled through the Ministry of Culture, but deriving from the Pools and Lottery Company Ltd, i.e. ultimately from the Danish public itself.

Obviously, the organisations are financially responsible towards the Ministry of Culture, but apart from this element it is still the individual members of the three organisations who control the associations through the respective regional associations and general assemblies etc.