About Play the Game
Play the Game is an initiative run by the Danish Institute for Sports Studies (Idan) that promotes democratic values in world sports with an emphasis on freedom of expression, transparency, and open dialogue.
Play the Game was founded in 1997 and has become a unique independent platform for raising and developing awareness about critical issues in modern sport.
Over the years, Play the Game has addressed a multitude of issues such as doping, corruption, good governance, match-fixing, sustainability of mega-events, the role of sports journalism, geopolitics, and the human rights of athletes and everyone else involved in sport.
Through conferences, analyses, journalism, and advocacy, Play the Game works to engage all stakeholders to qualify the public debate on sport and help sport contribute positively to society.
Our target groups are journalists, academics, sports leaders, athlete representatives, advocacy groups, politicians, and a wide range of stakeholders in sports.
Play the Game actively contributes to progress by:
- providing new knowledge and perspectives that open opportunities for action by key stakeholders
- shaping sports policy agendas by engaging with public opinion and decision-makers
- amplifying the voices and outreach of marginalised or oppressed individuals or groups in sport
- fostering networks and communities that connect stakeholders across professional and geographical borders.
Play the Game is often used as a source of information by international media and journalists and has an advisory function in transnational bodies including the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) under the Council of Europe, and the Permanent Consultative Council of the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS) under UNESCO.
Play the Game began as a conference initiative in 1997 under the auspices of DGI – the Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations. 109 sports journalists and sports researchers gathered in Denmark to discuss a number of emerging issues within sport politics, and they formed an international network called the Sports Intelligence Unit (SIU).
After another two conferences in 2000 and 2002, Play the Game was established as an independent organisation in 2004 with financial support from the Danish Ministry of Culture, the National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF), the Danish Association of Company Sport (DFIF), Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations (DGI), and Team Danmark (the national Danish elite sports institution).
In 2011, Play the Game became part of the Danish Institute for Sports Studies (Idan), an independent institution set up by the Danish Ministry of Culture and financed by the Danish state lottery.
In January 2011, Play the Game became part of the Danish Institute for Sports Studies (Idan), an independent institution set up by the Danish Ministry of Culture.
Play the Game is governed by the statutes of the Danish Institute for Sports Studies.
Download the strategy for the Danish Institute for Sports Studies, the Danish Institute for Non-formal Education and Play the Game 2023-2026
Our values are:
Expertise: We base our work on decency, professionalism and relevant methods.
Relevance: We work proactively with themes and areas that are significant and important.
Independence: Our work is impartial, autonomous and based on integrity.
In 2011, Play the Game became part of the Danish Institute for Sports Studies (Idan), an independent institution set up by the Danish Ministry of Culture and financed by the Danish state lottery with an annual grant of approximately 10 million Danish kroner.
In addition, Play the Game has attracted funding from the European Union for a number of research projects on sports governance and has been awarded several specific grants from the Danish government to promote good governance in sports.
Play the Game is staffed by employees of the Danish Institute for Sports Studies. Not all are working full-time on Play the Game projects but Play the Game activities make up the equivalent of three to four full-time positions annually.
Annual salary
In 2024, the annual salary including pension for the managing director of the Danish Institute for Sports Studies was 1,146,005 DKK.
In 2022, the remuneration for the board was 143,000 DKK for the chairman and 34,000 for the board members. The remuneration is determined by the Danish Ministry of Culture.
Since its inception, representatives from Play the Game have given keynote addresses, lectures, and presentations in over 30 countries related to different aspects of our work.
Each presentation is based on Play the Game's knowledge and experience but is always adapted to the specific context of the host country or the event.
If you want to invite Play the Game to speak at your event, please contact us