International Statistical Institute, 55th Session 2005 An International Reference List of Sports for Statistical Purposes Bruno ROSSI MORI Italian Olympic Committee, Coni Servizi, Statistical Monitoring of Sport Largo Lauro De Bosis 15, 00194 Rome, Italy
[email protected] 1. Seeking a coordinated Monitoring of Participation in Sports The sports system is centered on human activities which are called “sports”… Statisticians must consider the different sports which are practiced in a country, both while measuring participation of citizens in sports and while analysing facilities and other services provided, economic issues etc. Theoretical definitions of sport don’t help in surveys, when citizens give free answers from their own point of view: the feelings about sports differ from time to time and from place to place. Ten years ago, this topic was focused in the 1995 Beijing ISI Session and now some steps forward may be shown. Actions for a better Monitoring of Participation in Sports were developed among European countries, aimed at improving sport policies within the cultural policies at national and local level: • The Leadership Group for Cultural Statistics (LEG) implemented within the European Union (1999 report) some basic principles established by UNESCO in the ‘80 (Framework for Cultural Statistics - FCS) • The Compass action in sport was welcomed by the CDDS (Committee for the Development of Sport) within the Council of Europe (1996), while at the same time the LEG group for Cultural Statistics decided not to deal with sport in the first steps, and appreciated the fact that Compass was doing it. The Compass working group edited a book (1999), opened a website (www.sportcompass.net) and was recognised as ad hoc working group of the International Association for Sports Information IASI (2002).