New Sports Law Takes Effect in Latvia

New Sports Law enters into force

On 1 August, Latvia's new Sports Law took effect, replacing the previous legislation from 2002. The law is designed to improve the legal framework for sport and strengthen it as a foundation for societal growth and well-being. The old regulation was considered outdated due to fragmented governance and financing, weak good-governance mechanisms and a lack of a unified, data-driven approach. Anti-doping provisions remain substantively unchanged.

Key changes

The law updates terminology with definitions such as "professional athlete", "high-performance athlete", "sports club" and "sports federation". It also broadens the range of principles to be observed: in addition to equality, fair play, safety and good governance, principles developed in international sports practice, court rulings and sports science must now be followed. When organising sports events, state institutions, municipalities, natural and legal persons, including employers, must respect principles that promote a healthy lifestyle. The explanatory note stresses that this does not extend employers' obligations beyond existing legislation.

For the first time, the law defines sports streams: high-performance sport, children's and youth sport, parasport, adaptive sport and grassroots sport. Responsibilities of state and local authorities are clarified, including closer cooperation between sport and education. Municipalities have a duty to promote healthy lifestyles and support children's and youth sport in their territory.

New instruments

The law establishes a State Sports Fund as a targeted support instrument. It will finance athletes, sports events, infrastructure development, renewal and modernisation, as well as professional education of sports workers. Funding will be available to sports organisations, sports workers and event organisers. A separate law, currently under consideration in the Saeima, will regulate the fund's operation.

A unified sports registry will be created to collect information on sports facilities, organisations, coaches, referees and athletes, including minors. It will also contain data on health-care needs, public funding, anti-doping sanctions and sports agents.

Other provisions

Sports organisations and sports education institutions will be allowed to reimburse expenses of voluntary referees without supporting documents, provided the referee is certified or studying at an accredited institution, does not receive contractual remuneration for the same competitions and has a written agreement.

The law defines who is eligible for cash prizes for outstanding achievements — athletes representing Latvia, their coaches, support staff and relevant federations. If a recipient fails to meet their obligations, the awarding institution may revoke the prize.

Restrictions on Russia and Belarus remain in place: organising sports events with their participation is banned in Latvia, and Latvian athletes are prohibited from taking part in events held in these countries or playing against their teams. Violators will be excluded from national teams and will not receive state or municipal funding for training and competition expenses.