Big games in small places: the African Youth Games and organisational capacity in Botswana sport federations

Research Question: With more transition or developing economies hosting major sports events (MSE), it is increasingly relevant to research how they can impact sport organisations’ capacity in such environments. Using the Gaborone 2014 African Youth Games (AYG) as its research setting, the goal of this paper is to investigate how hosting a MSE can impact the perceived organisational capacity of sporting organisations within the context of a developing or transition economy. Research Method: Data were gathered through 13 semi-structured interviews. Results are deductively coded and presented according to Hall et al.’s (2003) conceptualisation of organisational capacity. Results and Findings: Results show that individuals perceived positive capacity outcomes related to skill development, international relationships and, in some instances, material resources. Conversely, adverse outcomes included lack of opportunities to apply new skills, strained relationships, and unmet financial expectations. Moreover, the findings reveal that the AYG generated similar capacity outcomes as other MSEs, but that the relative impact of those outcomes may differ. Implications: The findings re-emphasise the need for hosts to engage in strategic management to maximise positive capacity outcomes. Researchers are encouraged to investigate the impact of MSEs on sport organisations using multiple methods and settings.