Call for papers to Play the Game 2013

Call for Papers to Play the Game 2013- Stepping up for democracy in sport Helnan Marselis Hotel, Aarhus, Denmark, 28-31 October 2013 Today, more than ever before, the world looks with great concern at sport and its organisations.

Cases of corruption, match-fixing, doping and other unethical practices are accumulating, putting sport’s credibility under pressure.

Time is up for all stakeholders in sport to engage in open and unrestricted debates, so we can continuously develop the debate about sport and help identify solutions to the challenges that threaten it.

As an academic, journalist or sports practitioner, your participation is vital:

Academics can play a key role by bringing comprehensive data, scientific methods and analytical skills into the process.

Journalists have a special responsibility, partly because the media are an integral part of the sporting environment, and partly because the media have a strong influence on which issues are raised in public and which that are not.

Sports practitioners must balance a series of demands: Not only are they expected to provide economic growth, and increase membership and audiences, they must also guarantee ethical governance, strict anti-doping measures and social responsibility.

Conference themes

We invite you to share your expertise and experience with leading stakeholders by submitting an abstract/storyline with relevance to one of these main themes: 

• Match-fixing: Fair game for gangsters? 
• Sports reforms: Fact or phantom? 
• The anti-doping dilemma: Saving sport, sacrificing athletes?
• Recreational sport: A lost cause for sports organisations?
• Sports facilities: Who are we building for?
• From Russia to Rio: Power games or people’s games? 
• Open Forum/Other themes

Play the Game aspires to continue to be cutting edge in the international sports debate. The scope of issues raised at Play the Game is traditionally very broad, but we do try to focus conference content on some major themes.Below you will find some keywords to help you look find out what kind of papers we are calling for, and what kind of content we expect to present during Play the Game 2013.Please note that the list is neither exclusive nor exhaustive. From now and to the conference open, many more issues will be added to the list. In case you do not see your special topic on the list, it does not necessarily mean that it without interest to Play the Game. 

Match fixing: Fair game for gangsters?

• On the growing international efforts against match fixing.Keywords: Definition of match fixing. Fixing methods. Gambling markets, restrictions and vulnerabilities. International rules and law enforcement. Specific legal challenges for sports and governments. Prevention measures among players and officials. Integrity campaigns by SportAccord, FIFA/Interpol and other sports groups. The international convention proposed by the Council of Europe. Qatar’s sports security campaigns. EU preparatory actions etc.

Sports reforms: Fact or phantom?

• On efforts to fight corruption and raise governance standards in international sport.Keywords: FIFA’s reform process. The situation of the FIVB, IHF and other troubled federations. Autonomy vs. external control. Launch of the first survey based on the Sports Governance Observer. Implementation of good governance procedures. The role of EU and other intergovernmental agencies. Influence of elite athletes and other key stakeholders. The role of the media. Gender issues in sports leadership. Case stories of mismanagement and corruption. Democratic opportunities via social media. Agents, trafficking and migration. etc. 

The anti-doping dilemma: Saving sport, sacrificing athletes?

• Current developments in the fight against doping.Keywords: the upcoming revisions of the world anti-doping code. Legal rights of athletes. Impact of stronger sanctions. The Armstrong case. The future of cycling. New methods in doping and anti-doping. Doping in the fitness sector. International doping trade. Gene doping.

Recreational sport: A lost cause for sports organisations?

• On the decrease in physical activity and organized sport’s inability to seize new movement cultures.Keywords: Sports participation patterns. Developments in grass-root sport. Grass-roots sports between voluntary and commercial organization. Volunteering. Government policies on grass-root sport. Sporting incentives: Health or just fun? How to create efficient policies for physical actitivy. Movement mobilisation campaigns. Sedentarism and health issues. Targeted efforts to different age groups. The Designed to Move initiative. Results of the Mineps V conference. Sports monitoring in Europe and globally.

Sports facilities: Who are we building for?

• On new perspectives in sports architecture and urban planning.Keywords: How to make healthy public investments in sports infrastructure. Flexible sports installations. Adapting architecture to new movement forms. Sports facilities with a gender bias. Urban planning that enhances physical activity. World Stadium Index.

From Russia to Rio: Power games or people’s games?

• On mega-events and their legacies.Keywords: Sochi 2014 and the challenges for Winter Olympics. Rio 2016: mega-events and democratic mobilization in Brazil. The event exodus from Europe. Public investment in mega-events. Mega-events and participation legacy. Impact of events on tourism and global branding. The geopolitical interests in hosting events. Lack of transparency in bidding processes. Qatar’s ambitions in international sport. 

If in doubt of under which theme to submit your abstract/storyline, do not hesitate to contact Play the Game at info@playthegame.org Selected speakers will be given a minimum 15 minute timeslot to present their papers orally in parallel sessions and some may be chosen to present in plenary sessions.

Open Forum

An Open Forum is also available to speakers:

• who address issues not covered by the main themes
• whose abstracts are not accepted in the peer review process
• who offer interventions/investigations of a more personal character
• who submit last-minute registrations

In the Open Forum, speakers are given a seven minute timeslot to present their main points.

Deadline for abstract/storyline submission is Wednesday 15 May 2013.

Note: New deadline is Saturday 15  June 2013

Abstracts/storylines will be peer reviewed by leading academics, journalists and managers from the 2013 conference Programme Committee.

Submit your abstract/storyline

The submission system is managed by Ektimo I/S (Manuscript Manager).

Read the guidelines for abstract submission

Please click here to submit your abstract/storyline

Notifications on approval of abstracts will be sent by e-mail no later than 1 July 2013.

Please note that the registration price for abstract submitters will be calculated as of the day of the abstract submission. More on conference prices

International launch of research projects

If you are preparing a major research project or a campaign, why not use Play the Game 2013 to launch your project internationally?

Play the Game expects the participation of more than 100 journalists representing media across the globe and is an ideal platform for reaching a worldwide audience and building lasting working relations.

Please contact Play the Game’s international director Jens Sejer Andersen (jens@playthegame.org) to discuss how coordinated action can be taken.

We thank you in advance for any help in distributing this message to friends, colleagues and others who share the goals of Play the Game: To promote democracy, transparency and freedom of expression in world sport.

Questions

Please contact Analyst Lau Tofft-Jørgensen, Danish Institute for Sport Studies/Play the Game by e-mail:  or phone: +45 51 90 61 05

More information about Play the Game 2013