Designing an Optimal Indigenous Model for Sport Development in Iran: An Integrated Framework of Multilevel Governance Based on Comparative Analysis

The present study aimed to design an optimal indigenous model for sport development in Iran, with an emphasis on multilevel governance and based on comparative analysis. In terms of purpose, the study was applied–developmental, and in terms of nature, it was qualitative and model-building. It was conducted using a comparative analysis approach and directed qualitative content analysis. The unit of analysis was the national sport development system. Data were collected through a review of scientific sources, policy documents, official reports, and studies related to the sport systems of Iran and six selected countries, namely Australia, China, Turkey, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Data analysis was conducted based on five dimensions: educational and grassroots development foundations, the talent development pathway, the elite and high-performance sport system, professional sport, and the degree of integration across levels. During the coding process, 42 open codes, 18 axial codes, and 7 selective codes were extracted, leading to the identification of different logics of sport development across countries. The findings indicated that the main distinction among successful sport systems lies not in the mere existence of development levels, but in the quality of linkages among them. Despite having educational, grassroots, elite, and professional sport levels, Iran faces weak institutional connectivity, organizational incoherence, and instability in the athlete development pathway. Based on the results of analytical validation, the initial four-level model was transformed into a final three-approach model comprising an educational–grassroots foundation-building approach, an elite sport approach, and a professional sport approach. The final conclusion of the study indicates that sustainable sport development in Iran requires a transition from a state-centered, hierarchical structure with incomplete linkages toward an indigenous, coordinated model based on multilevel governance, in which the Ministry of Sport acts as the policymaker, regulator, coordinator, and supervisor of the entire system.