Meet top governance and integrity leaders from sport at Play the Game’s November event

When Play the Game gathers professionals from around Europe on 13 November in Leuven, Belgium, for the disclosure of new data on international and European sports governance, they will find much more than endless statistics and colourful tables on the projection screen.

A number of top figures involved in sports integrity and governance will be joining the event to discuss questions that are key to the current worldwide debate:

• How much real change has happened following the reform efforts in international federations over the past three years?

• What is the governance standard of national sports federations across Europe, and can academic research inspire change?

• Should politicians act to demand better governance in sport, and how can they best intervene?

Among the experts and stakeholders that will join the debate are:

Brett Clothier

• , Head of the Athletics Integrity Unit under the IAAF, Monaco

Stanislas Frossard

• , Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport, the Council of Europe, France

Paulina Tomczyk

• , Secretary General, EU Athletes, Belgium

Nick Butler

• , Journalist, ARD

Marijke Fleuren

• , President of the European Hockey Federation, member of IOC commission on Women in Sport (tbc)

Emma Farlow

• , Senior Governance Manager, UK Sport

Hajo Seppelt

• , ARD

Dr. Arnout Geeraert, Associate researcher, KU Leuven, and Assistant Professor, Utrecht University will launch fresh data from the Sports Governance Observer, which in 2015 drew international attention by showing that 2/3 of the 35 international Olympic federations did not live up to even half of the basic minimum requirements for good governance. After reforms in FIFA and IAAF in the recent years, how much has really changed? This will be debated by speakers with insights into sports governance, and participants will be invited into a panel discussion.

The seminar will also reveal the results of the National Sports Governance Observer (NSGO) an EU funded study carried out among the most important sports federations in Belgium (Flanders), Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Brazil. Project participants will present their view on how governance research can facilitate substantial governance change. The seminar will conclude with an afternoon session on the issue of public regulation of sports governance through mandatory codes or other means. Experts and practitioners will present various views on how to move good governance forward and to improve in critical areas. One of these areas is anti-doping, and as the farewell salute, Hajo Seppelt from ARD will close the seminar with his perspective on why governance in anti-doping is currently in a state of chaos and where and how change is needed. Join us for an interesting day in Leuven!

Register now

Download the programme  (last updated 6 November)

Participation is offered free of charge for the first 50 registered participants and there are still a few free seats left. Subsequent registrations will be charged DKK 450 to cover lunch and coffee. (= EUR 60 - prices will be shown in DKK).