In accordance with Law No 96/09 of 5 August 1996 establishing the Charter for Physical and Sports activities in Cameroon, there are three categories of sports entities. They are Sports Associations, Sports Companies, and Sports Federation.
A. SPORTS ASSOCIATION
An association is said to be a sports association when it usually organizes, even on an ancillary basis, the practice of one or more physical discipline(s) or exercise(s).
Sports associations are governed by the Law No. 96/09 of 5 August 1996. They may be civil, military, school, university, or disabled people’s associations. Their creation and operation are subject to the prior approval of the Minister of Sports.
Their creation and operation shall cease upon withdrawal of the approval of the Ministry of Sport.
Primary, secondary, and higher education establishments, as well as specialized institutions for the disabled, may each have a sports association.
The sports association of higher education institutions shall organize and develop the practice of physical and sports activities in compliance with the laws and regulations relating to higher education.
The sports associations of nursery schools are created on the initiative of each school.
School sports associations may form district, departmental or provincial committees among themselves, and university sports associations may form sectors and/or development areas.
Civil sports associations may, as the case may be, form districts, leagues or provincial committees within administrative units. Federations shall bring them together on a national scale.
Sports associations shall freely adopt their statutes. These statutes shall be approved by the sports federations with which they are affiliated.
B. SPORTS COMPANIES
A sports group affiliated to a sports federation regulated by law, which usually participates in the organization of paying sports events, generating revenue at least equivalent to a threshold set by a decree implementing this law, and which employs sportsmen and women in return for agreed remuneration, may, for the purpose of carrying out its activities set up a public limited company governed by the legislation on commercial companies.
This company shall adopt the status of a sports company, the purpose, legal status, and functioning of which shall be determined by law.
C. SPORTS FEDERATION
A sports federation is a nationwide grouping of several sports associations, sports companies, and members of one or more sports disciplines.
It can be civil, military, school or university, or it can be about sports for people with disabilities.