“WE HAVE TO ADD”: FUNDING SOURCES FOR ATHLETES OF BRAZIL’S NATIONAL JUDO TEAM

Abstract

Judo is a prominent sport in Brazil, partly as a result of government-provided financial support. This work describes and analyzes top judo athletes’ fundraising strategies and the uses they make of the Athlete Scholarship Program in their careers. Seventeen athletes from Brazil’s national judo team were interviewed. Athletes usually benefit from four funding sources - clubs, individual sponsors, the High-Performance Athletes Program (PAAR), and the Athlete Scholarship Program. In addition, the Brazilian Judo Confederation (CBJ) assists with other resources. The study concludes that the main funding sources for athletes are provided by the federal government. High performance athletes are able support themselves, but lower-level athletes are underfunded and lack support to recover from injuries and for their post-career times.

Keywords:
Martial arts; Athlete’s performance; Professional athletes; Funding