Organizational and security roles of the Ministry of Defense, the Serbian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the sports industry

Sports is an integral part of the training of the military and police forces’ members, and Olympic sports disciplines, such as fencing, shooting and equestrian sports, are closely related to the traditional military training. The current situation in the Balkans reveals that the sports infrastructure in the possession of the Serbian Armed Forces and the Police Force is, in most cases, unused. Sporting events are impossible to organize without the consent of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is responsible for the necessary security assessments of sports competitions and sports facilities (stadiums, halls, swimming pools). Security is the most important prerequisite for holding the sports competitions, and new technologies are indispensable in providing security of sports competitions. We are witnessing ever more frequent incidents both in sports fields and facilities, and in sports associations, clubs, companies and media. Exactly because of its value, the sports industry becomes a source of conflict situations in which the interests of different groups are intertwined, having their origin in fans or nationalist ideologies. Using various examples, the paper demonstrates the role and importance of the Armed Forces and the Police Force in the sports industry in Serbia. Without their help, many sporting events could be hard to organize.