The Legal Foundation of Sports Organisations
The Georgian Law on Sport frames the legal foundation for the participants of the sports sector. Under Article 8, a public or other non-state sports organisation is a sports federation, association, club or other association that aims at the development of sport. The state promotes the development of the activities of such organisations and involves them in the governance of sport; where necessary, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport may, within its competence, transfer individual powers to them and control their exercise.
At the same time, public and other non-state sports organisations conduct their activities in accordance with the Law on Sport and other normative acts in force in the sports sector. This means that, despite the character of free association, a sports organisation operates on a legal basis whose violation may also affect its activities. This model of relations between the state and the sports sector — support, involvement in governance and the transfer of powers under control — creates a balance between the autonomy of sport and public interests.