Sport for Development in Norway

This chapter offers an insight into current Norwegian sport for development (SfD) policies, practices, and research strands. The chapter is divided into two main parts: first, it examines domestic SfD policies and practices; secondly, it examines the role of Norway within the international sport for development and peace (SDP) sector. In both parts, we provide an overview of the recent scholarship. The analysis utilises Coalter’s concepts of sport plus and plus sport . We argue that domestic SfD policies and practices have had a clear sport plus profile, but that current public policies are forcing sport-governing bodies to increase their attention towards plus sport initiatives. Similarly, the present Norwegian interest in international SDP holds a plus sport character. Consequently, it is suggested that domestic SfD policies in the future will lean even more towards plus sport concepts. As most Norwegian sport policy research seems to have been less interested in initiatives and programs outside established sport organisations, the chapter concludes with a call for research with a wider scope.