Int. J. Sport Management and Marketing, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2018 267 Copyright © 2018 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. Challenges to sport development and sport participation from sport managers’ perspectives Popi Sotiriadou* Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management, Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Business 2 (G27), Room 2.23, Gold Coast Campus, Parklands Drive, Southport Qld 4215, Australia Fax: +61-7-5552-8507 Email: p.sotiriadou@griffith.edu.au *Corresponding author Kevin Filo Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management, Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Business 2 (G27), Room 3.32, Gold Coast Campus, Parklands Drive, Southport QLD 4214, Australia Fax: +61-7-5552-8507 Email: k.filo@griffith.edu.au Thilo Kunkel Fox School of Business, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Temple University, 315 Speakman Hall, 1810 N. 13th St., Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA Email: thilo.kunkel@temple.edu Abstract: This study addresses the need to advance knowledge on sport participation from the perspective of managers and complements studies that examine this phenomenon from participants’ perspectives. Using the case of basketball in Australia, data were collected from selected managers via two focus groups and 24 interviews in Queensland, Australia. Results demonstrated that managers believed basketball offers opportunities for participants to achieve an active and social way of living, and overcome challenges related to: climate (i.e., sun safety, rain) and population density, obesity among youth, integrating individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, and community members’ increasingly busy lifestyles. Whilst some of these findings reflect global trends (e.g., promoting healthy lifestyles), others manifest more local challenges (e.g., climate). Findings from this study enable more informed decisions on policy direction and program design and in promoting