This paper examines the relationship between sport and the Tunisian state, focusing on the issues of governance and regulation. Identified are three periods: from independence to the coup d’état (20 March 1956–7 November 1987), where sport was a component of national identity; Ben Ali’s regime taking control of the Olympic Movement, 1987–2011; and post-2011, which witnessed attempts to achieve democracy. Descriptions of the situation in each of the three periods
are followed by analyses of sports policies (objectives, resources, and results), legislation, turning points, and tensions.