Royal Order of Sports Merit

Royal Order of Sports Merit Real Orden del Mérito Deportivo
Badge of the Royal Order of Sports Merit.
Awarded by His Majesty The King of Spain
Type	Order of Merit
Awarded for	Recognition of activities in the fields of sport and physical education.
Chancellor	Minister of Education, Culture and Sport
Precedence
Next (higher)	Orden de las Artes y las Letras de España
Next (lower)	Orden al Mérito del Plan Nacional sobre Drogas[1]
Ribbon of the Order

The Royal Order of Sports Merit (Spanish: Real Orden del Mérito Deportivo) is a Spanish civil order of merit established in 18 June 1982. The order is indented to recognise distinguished service in sports, in teaching physical education, or the management, organisation, promotion and development of physical education and sports. The order may be presented to individuals in one of four classes. It may also be presented to legal personalities, organizations, and other entities in one of three classes.

The Spanish Constitution of 1978 contains in article 43.3, a guiding principle in the conduct of public authorities to promote physical education and sport. The Royal Order of Sports Merit is a tool of this constitutional mandate to promote, advertise, and propagate physical culture and sports.