Play the Game receives grant to strengthen international work

With a supplementary grant of 400,000 euro, the Danish Parliament has decided to strengthen Play the Game.

The extra grant is expected to support Play the Game’s work with the Sports Governance Observer, a bench marking tool for measuring the state of good governance in international sports organisations as well as Play the Game’s efforts in fighting corruption and promoting good governance in international sport.

Johs. Poulsen, chairman of the Play the Game and the Danish Institute for Sports Studies board, is glad to see that a large majority in the Danish Parliament supports the work of Play the Game:

“The grant will take a hand in strengthening the work of Play the Game in the coming years. The past years have shown that a small independent and critical voice as Play the Game’s can actually have an impact on the international sports organisations,” says Poulsen.

A fingerprint on international sport

Last winter, Play the Game issued a call for Danish politicians to establish a strengthened international effort against corruption and mismanagement in international sport.

Since then, the crises in FIFA and lately also the in the IAAF have exploded and later this week, the scope of the deep leadership crisis in parts of international sport will most likely be further exposed when WADA, on 14 January, releases the second part of an independent report into corruption in relation to doping cases in Russian athletics and in the international athletics federation.

Play the Game's director, Henrik H. Brandt, points out that Play the Game, during the past years, has left several noticeable fingerprints on international sports policies while underlining the need for independent players in this field.

”Our research about the defective leadership in international sports organisations has already had a great effect. The research displays enormous challenges in sport and sets the bar for a necessary renewal. The crises in FIFA and the IAAF are abysmal and there is a need for pressure from the outside and a need for new tools for those leaders who are able to influence the sports organisations from within. We can help in both areas,” says Brandt.

As another example that small-scale players can make a difference, Brandt mentions Play the Game’s involvement in the revision of UNESCO’s International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport. In this case, UNESCO highlighted Play the Game’s role in the preparation of the revised charter that will help raise the standard for sports policies in member countries.