Studies on the economic impact of sports have not been a priority even in the developed countries, although some do exist, mainly at British universities. It could be said that studies associated with sports mainly focus on sports medicine, teacher training and training systems. In general, the analytical premise in such research aims to achieve improvements in athletes' performance, leaving aside the importance of analyzing the economic basis that makes sports and their league models sustainable. A case in point is the current economic crisis afflicting the Colombian professional football teams. This probably stems from the slight economic impact that is perceived from the sector as well as the priority placed on social problems, which logically leads to interest being focused on such sectors as health and education.

The 2000 European Sports Forum approached the multifaceted nature of this activity through six different functions: educational, public health, social, cultural, recreational and finally its redistributive economic role. It would seem that in the developing countries sports are viewed through the first five aspects while forgetting to seriously focus on the sixth.

Football has been considered a worldwide sport due to the passion that it has generated over time, to the point where diverse cultures with huge behavioral differences and/or with interesting specificities identify with each other through the experience of “handling a ball”. The multifaceted nature of athletic activity applied to football, particularly its social, cultural, recreational and economic functions, makes it a singular experiential spectacle. At every encounter, this sport awakens sensations, emotions and passions that are not always handled well. This is due to the fans' cultural characteristics and the players' low degree of assimilation of their role as an instrument for inculcating values and behavioral norms.

But what is truly relevant, from an economic perspective, is football's massive impact and, given the emotions and passions generated, the willingness of those masses to “invest” in it. We may thus infer that the problem has been the parochial way in which the sport has been managed, which gives rise to two reflections: Where is the financial economic model of the football leagues and of each of the professional sports teams? Where is the management model of the sports teams that handle significant amounts of money in our country?

At the same time, although we all know that it is considerable, the economic impact of events such as the coming sub 20 World Cup that will take place in our country is not subject to any formal measurement. That is because the decision to host them is made because for other countries they have served as an incentive and accelerator for tourism (and therefore have helped to spur economic activity) rather than our being able to truly estimate their impact on the national or regional economy.

This sub 20 World Cup generates a considerable impact. In the first place because it serves as a seedbed for future world class stars and, like in any Hollywood movie, it is a showcase where young people can demonstrate their abilities and potential. The important professional teams are willing to make small investments to acquire future stars with the ability to produce unimaginable profits. Companies at all levels (regional, national or multinational) are seeking new icons to represent them. Not to mention the goods or services associated with such an event: hotels, tourist services and restaurants, among others. Although complex, an estimate of the economic impact would shed more light on the importance of having economic models to support the sustainability of athletic activities in our developing countries.

This editorial must seem a bit strange to the customary readers of this journal but it is a wakeup call to evaluate our daily activities, given the emphasis in this issue placed on self-evaluation of what we understand as social responsibility and our role in it.

Edison Jair Duque Oliva

Editor in chief

Fulltime pr ofessor Universidad Nacional de Colombia