FAVORITISM IN SPORTS: AN INVESTIGATION ON COMBAT SPORTS

The aim of the current study was to assess the fact of favoritism in sports in terms of cronyism, nepotism and -in more general sense- favoritism and partiality through athletes’ experiences. The study was a qualitative study due to the analysis techniques used for the data collection. In the study; interview technique was chosen as a qualitative study tool and semi-structured forms were employed. The study group was composed of a total of 6 athletes recruited with purposeful sampling method from wrestling, boxing, kick-boxing, wushu, muay thai and taekwondo sports who expressed to have been subjected to favoritism in various ways. When the data obtained through interviews were examined; three themes about favoritism were extracted: the goals and the obstacles encountered by the athletes in their branches, match officiating and favoritism on behalf of some athletes. These themes were barriers to achieving goals, injustice due to referee error and favoritism. As a result of the findings obtained from the interviews; it may be argued that favoritism existed in the above mentioned combat sports.