Finnish sports hub Tampere will host Play the Game 2025

“For a sustainable and successful sports policy, ethics and integrity are even more significant cornerstones in the future. I warmly welcome all to the Play the Game conference to discuss these important issues of shared interest in Tampere in 2025!”

With these words, Sandra Bergqvist, the Finnish Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity, sets the tone for Play the Game 2025, the 14^th edition of the leading international conference on the most pressing challenges to world sport.

From Sunday 5 to Wednesday 8 October, Play the Game 2025 will gather around 400 media professionals, sports officials, athlete representatives, sports activists, government officials and many other stakeholders in open, unrestricted and fact-based dialogue.

“Finland has for many years been a world leader in advancing sports integrity, both at home and abroad, and we are thankful to the government for its generous support which allows us to host the 2025 conference in Tampere,” says Stanis Elsborg, head of Play the Game.

The ministry delegates the participation in the planning of the conference to the Finnish Center for Integrity in Sports (FINCIS), one of the small, but growing number of national bodies with multiple tasks in sports integrity.

FINCIS promotes responsible sports in co-operation with its partners. As an integral part of this mission, FINCIS has been assigned specific tasks in the areas of anti-doping activities, combatting manipulation of sports competitions and promoting spectator safety and comfort. FINCIS is responsible for investigating serious ethical violations and presenting disciplinary provisions in centralised disciplinary procedures.

Play the Game will be held in partnership with the City of Tampere. Tampere is one of the most active cities in hosting sports events in Northern Europe and works internationally to strengthen the legacy of the big public investments in events.

“By hosting Play the Game 2025, we wish to show our commitment to democracy and human rights in sport, and we intend to use the conference actively to raise discussions on how major sports events can become more socially, financially, and environmentally sustainable,” says Perttu Pesä, director of Major Events in Tampere.

Play the Game will now embark on the conference planning and select international and Finnish representatives for an advisory programme committee. The main themes, the participation costs, and other relevant information will be announced shortly.