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DGI-byen, Copenhagen November 10th to 14th , 2002 Play the game Who’s got the power?

Stories from the 3rd international conference for media professionals in a globalised sports world

Aidan White · Alina Bernstein · Anders Levinsen · Anders Bülow · Andrew Jennings · Anita White · Anne-Marie Kappelgaard · Barrie Houlihan · Bente Klarlund Pedersen · Berit Skirstad · Bjarne Ibsen · Bo Berglund · Brian Mikkelsen · Christiane Ayotte · Claus Bøje · Colin Tatz · Craig Reedie · Declan Hill · Dirk Lund Christensen · Emma Stanford · Ezequiel F. Moores · Gary Wicks · Gerd von der Lippe · Gerhard Treutlein · Gertrud Pfister · Giselher Spitzer · Gunilla Lindberg · Gunnar Hermansson · Hans Bonde · Hans B. Skaset · Henning Eichberg · Henrik Larsen · Henrik H. Brandt · Herbert Hartmann · Ivan Waddington · Jean Paul Marthoz · Jens Weinreich · Jens Brinch · Jens Sejer Andersen · Jim Stjerne Hansen · Joe Hena · John Bale · John Hoberman · Jørn Møller · Kari Fasting · Lars Martin Kaupang · Lars Haue-Pedersen · Laura Robinson · Marcia Sage · Max Rasmussen · Michael Friedberg · Michael Nybrandt · Milan Petkovic · Nils Mulvad · Olukayode Thomas · Peter Schjerling · Petter Riiser · Prisca Massao · Rasmus Damsgaard · Richard H. McLaren · Robert Davies · Sandro Donati · Sigmund Loland · Sun Weijia · Søren Schultz Jørgensen · Søren-Mikael Hansen · Torben Ulrich · William Glenwright

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EDITORIAL By Jens Sejer Andersen, Director of Play the game If sport is to be freed from its maladies, the cure is“ at hand. Open and unrestricted dialogue, good and transparent governance and delegation of power ... to all stakeholders who care about human values in sport ” A home for the homeless questions

efore the opening of the third internatio- legations of mismanagement against FIFA presi- transparent governance and delegation of power ... nal Play the game conference, we, as or- dent Sepp Blatter. They even reported their own to all stakeholders who care about human values B ganisers, were eagerly awaiting the answ- chairman to the police. in sport. ers to three questions. But when a few weeks later Blatter was re- So let us show our appreciation for the inde- Would the speakers again be sharp, enthusia- elected, an epidemic of silence hit in the soccer pendent minds in the sports world who bravely stic, well prepared and willing to take risks? world. defy threats to their career and reputation when Would the participants again work tirelessly to And it still prevails. launching relevant criticism of the power brokers build new networks and forge new friendships? Of the six speakers who committed themselves in sport. And most importantly: Would the homeless qu- to speak on FIFA-related issues at Play the game, And let us equally pay respect to those accoun- estions of international sport – questions that are four withdrew before or during the conference - table sports leaders - like Sweden's Gunilla Lind- not asked openly, much less answered – still be in this after half a dozen key UEFA and FIFA figures berg and Britain's Craig Reedie, both from the IOC evidence? had earlier declined invitations. - who have the courage to join the debate as it un- As this publication will hopefully show, Play the Football's leaders – those whose prestige and folds at Play the game and elsewhere, although game was able to answer a clear 'yes' on all three power comes from being elected by millions of play- this choice may not improve their standings am- counts. ers - are denying information to their constituencies ong all their fellow sports leaders. Questions of vital importance for all sports lo- on an issue which they themselves raised as sport's A special thank you must go to the Chinese vers - athletes, coaches, administrators, and mem- potentially biggest mismanagement scandal. hosts for the forthcoming 2008 Olympics. They bers of the public - are still not welcome in great Is this a healthy way to practice democracy? displayed forward-looking leadership and profes- parts of the sports society. But the malady of silence is no privilege of soc- sionalism by entering the sensitive debate on sport In spite of internal reforms in the IOC and a cer alone. It has dominated world sport over the and human rights. promising degree of transparency in the World past 30 years. As revenues from TV and sponsors Until the next edition of Play the game, we in- Anti Doping Agency, many powerful sports leaders have abounded, so has the power concentration vite you to join the thousands of journalists, experts are actively seeking to stifle open debate about to- and the lack of openness. and sports lovers that use www.play-the-game.org pics that will define sport's future. Sport has become a perfect breeding ground as meeting place and knowledge bank. The example of soccer is second to none. for political and financial corruption. With your help, we may be able to give more In early 2003, the respective heads of Europ- If sport is to be freed from its maladies, the cure is than a few days' shelter to the homeless questions ean, African and Asian football levelled major al- at hand. Open and unrestricted dialogue, good and in sport.

www.play-the-game.org

The Play the game 2002 q REPORTERS q PHOTOS Articles can be qouted Play the game 2002 in parts when crediting magazine is an edited, Karen Balling Radmer All photos courtesy of was supported by the author and the extended and translated Kirsten Harkjæ.r Larsen Niels Nyholm (freelance) Play the game conference version of the Danish Jonna Toft unless otherwise credited Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations weekly “Ungdom & Steen Bille The Danish Ministry of Culture For all other kinds of Idræt” no. 34/2002 Marlene Jensen q LAYOYT Danish Center for Culture and Development (DCCD) reproduction written Bente Mikkelsen Maja Bursøe Danida/The Ministry of Foreign Affairs permission must be q Kasper Lindberg Danish Sports Journalists' Association EDITOR -IN -CHIEF requested at [email protected] Jens Sejer Andersen Printed at Scanprint Anti Doping Denmark [email protected] q TRANSLATIONS DK-8260 Viby J Copyright 2003 Marcus Dylan Hoy Denmark Sports Intelligence Unit (freelance) April 2003

International Federation International Sport of Journalists and Culture Association Sports Intelligence Unit

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FOTO: POLFOTO/PATRICK HERTZOG Dangerous Liaisons

Links between top sport and criminality extend across the world. Even football heroes like Pelé cannot shake off allegations of links to corruption

By Steen Bille

he flow of money in professional Vice President of the Asian Olympic Brazil's links between sport and crimi- Two extensive »Tsport is so widespread that Committee, Gafour Rakhimov of Uzbe- nality are much stronger than this parliamentary misuse of office, corruption and crimi- kistan, a man also known as the 'Tash- particular example might suggest. reports have nality are inevitable by-products – and kent Godfather'. In the year 2000 he was It is scarcely 1½ years since the Brazil- asked for the the players are the losers every time.« refused a visa to attend the Olympic ian Lower House of Congress published indictment of It was with this background that Games in Sydney, due to strong suspi- an 800-page report on football and crime, journalists from four continents provi- cions about his involvement in drug which named 33 football leaders as being Brazilian soc- ded some of Play the game's most dra- running and other criminal activities. involved in criminal activities. The re- cer leaders, but matic presentations, giving the audi- »The Russians are the most powerful port was initially ignored by those con- they uphold ence a vivid insight into a world rarely gangsters in the western world: they gress members with close links to the their internati- referred to by the media. own banks, they have easy access to we- Brazilian Football Confederation. onal positions, One of the most memorable accounts apons, and they are ruthless« says Ger- »A similar Senate report totalling Ezequiel F. was provided by Canadian journalist man journalist Jens Weinreich, who has 1,600 pages asked for the indictment of Moores said Declan Hill, who documented the Rus- charted organised crime's close contacts 17 football leaders, and like in the former sian mafia's iron grip on its countrymen with Olympic sport for many years. »A report, the list was headed by the presi- playing professional ice hockey in the lot of money is tied up with cities' bid- dent of the Brazilian Football Confedera- Canadian NHL. ding processes – in the form of holidays, tion, Ricardo Teixeira,« says Fernandez »Their families in Russia are kidnap- cash and prostitutes for members of the Moores. »The Senate found him guilty of ped and only released when high rans- IOC. At the same time, IOC members forgery, taking out suspect bank loans, oms have been paid,« he says. »They are can use their visits to candidate cities to using his job to further his business inter- beaten up and blackmailed for hundreds forge good business contacts and make ests, and paying out large sums of cash to of thousands of dollars. Other players be- extra profits.« his friends.« Despite these activities come involved in gambling and money Weinreich adds that some five billion FIFA President Sepp Blatter recently ap- laundering – a business worth millions.« Euros is expected to be generated by 2004 pointed Teixeira to FIFA's Executive – the proceeds of four years' marketing Committee and appointed him Vice Pre- Top of the crime league for the summer and winter Olympics. sident of FIFA's Committee for Justice, Behind this organised criminality are a Security.... and Fair Play. number of Russian mafia bosses who Pelé accused In conclusion, Fernandez Moores qu- have secured influence in Canada, Ger- Ezequiel Fernandez Moores, Editor of otes former Brazilian football star Sócra- many and Russia. Among the best the Argentinian press bureau Ansa, tes, whose verdict on Brazilian football known is Alik Tochtachumow, who was places a question mark against the seems equally relevant when applied to involved in the skating scandal that squeaky-clean image of the football the entire football world. marred the 2002 Winter Olympics in god himself, Pelé. He claims that Pelé's »Football has made us notorious for Salt Lake City. FBI documents reveal sports management firm at one time dealing in under age children, passport that he is involved in money launde- accepted over 70,000 Euros from UNI- forgery, cheating, injustice, lack of ambi- ring, drug smuggling, bribery and CEF for a charity match that was sim- tion and stealing dreams. It is detestable more. The same charges apply to the ply never played. Moreover, he adds, to be represented by these people.«

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PHOTO: SPORTSFOTO APS Raising living standards for a big part of the world's population is the best contribution That was quite an achievement: to human rights, “ all those languages and ethnicities, so much content, found Weijia - who so crowded yet unboring, so much fellowship also thought that and so little bitchery and backbiting. the Olympics A splendid conference will bring about political progress Colin Tatz, Professor, Australia”

EXTRACT Test the promises

Human rights will stick to the Beijing Olympics like chewing gum under a school bank, said the European Press Director Jean Paul Marthoz from Human Rights Watch and presented a tip sheet for journalists

By Jean Paul Marthoz under pressure since they would be accused of be- - Press freedom is a barometer of other ing traitors and anti-Chinese. freedoms and international journalists should clos- journalists refuse to see that politics mixes Strategically we also thought that the preparati- ely monitor the situation of press freedom in China with sports they should change jobs,and why ons for the Olympic Games would give us several since it will have an impact on their own capacity to If not, become pom pom girls or FIFA steno- years that could be used to highlight the human rig- report. Now, as described in HRW world report graphers. Politics has always been the fellow traveller hts situation in China and help improve it. 2003, the situation is rather grim. China blocked of sports, and especially of Olympic sports […] […] This is the time now to escape from the major Internet search engines, closed publications, The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing is of course strategic boardroom and to go back to the news- harassed foreign and domestic journalists,tightened no exception and China is not a country that leaves room. Human rights will be a constant issue before controls on satellite transmission, and hampered anyone indifferent. and during the Beijing Olympics. It will stick to the the work of academics and activists. It is a great country, a huge country that plays a coverage like a chewing gum under a school bank. - Just prior to the IOC's decision to award leading role on the international scene. So what will journalists be confronted with? China the Games, Wang Wei, secretary-general of It is also a country with a one-party regime What should they be looking and prepare themsel- the Official Beijing Committee, had said: "we will which has a very bad human rights record. This is ves for? Here is my tip sheet: give the media complete freedom to report when where politics, like Manuel Puig's spider woman, - In an era when big companies like talking they come to China". Journalists should test this again kisses sports. about corporate social responsibility, check with promise. They should check with the IOC on how […] When China was selected I felt like the lo- the sponsors on how they can avoid being part of a they intend to live up to their rhetoric and make nely goalkeeper at the moment of the penalty.HRW human rights abusive system. In a letter to foreign sure that China honours its pledge to allow all for- decided however, contrary to other human rights companies bidding on construction of Olympic faci- eign journalists "complete freedom" to report.They organizations like Reporters sans frontiers and after lities, for instance, HRW insisted that they should should make sure that the international media have an intense internal discussion, not to join the cam- adopt a code of conduct for the treatment of their unrestricted access and there will be no discrimina- paign for the boycott of Beijing 2008.Why? […] workers, that those losing property or housing be tion against journalists or participants based on Because, to start with, HRW is not convinced fairly compensated and that migrants living in and their political or religious views and country of ori- that heavy-handed sanctions are necessarily effe- around Beijing being displaced for the Olympics be gin.They should get guarantees that there would be ctive.Although we recognize the validity of the pro- fairly treated and not abused. no retaliation against Chinese citizens interviewed sanctions argument against the South African - The same scrutiny should be applied to by the press. apartheid regime we believe that too often sancti- companies involved in special security systems, in- - Let us never forget, unlike the famous ons act like cluster bombs with their indiscriminate cluding surveillance and other equipment. Some of Wonder batteries, press freedom only runs out if collateral damage, hitting the wrong people in the the technology could probably be recycled and used you do not use it! open field when the real guys are safely hidden in against dissidents. Check what kinds of safeguards their bunkers. … can be built to limit opportunities for abuse. Secondly we listened to our friends in the Chi- - Internet companies should be urged to nese human rights movement and they were telling take a pro active role and press for the lifting of the Jean Paul Marthoz spoke as European Press Director of us that a "no" to Beijing would be met with a toug- various regulations and controls now in place on Human Rights Watch - www.hrw.org hening of the regime and would put the democrats web contact and access. He is now editor-in-chief at La Libre Belgique.

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Sun Weijia faced the music on behalf of the Chinese Olym- of the country - but that doesn't mean that pics organisers were are not a democratic country now. and was met with tough Illegal - and not permitted political When Ann Callaghan from the London-based questions Free Tibet Campaign raised the issues of Falun Gong and of a Tibetan activist being sent to work camp for trying to influence the IOC's stand on China, Sun Weijia was less forthcoming. »The problem of Falun Gong it that it is ille- Human gal. And like in your countries, what is illegal is not permitted. This is very simple,« Weijia said. When met with the objection that in China it is easier than in other countries to be declared rights a threat to the security of the state, Weijia shar- pened the tone. He stressed that China has a seat in all im- portant human rights commissions under the on the United Nations, and will comply with their ob- ligations in that respect. »But I could never understand the approach sports that consists in taking your criteria for human rights in your country and for your people, and impose these criteria for other countries,« agenda Weijia replied. Promises for the media Margita Boström from Sweden and Janet Heino- nen of the USA wanted to know if journalists The organisers of the Olympic Games in 2008 contributed to an would be allowed to work freely during the unrestricted debate and a mutual learning process Olympics - and if this would mean general im- provements for journalists working in China. As for the last point, Sun Weijia would only confirm that, in the interests of security, travel- By Steen Bille and Jens Sejer Andersen First of all, Sun Weijia pointed out that he co- lers must indeed inform authorities of their uld only offer his personal opinion, as he did not destination. it an exclusive right for the Western he- represent the government. However, foreign as well as Chinese me- Is misphere to define what human rights »We do attach great importance to the impro- dia would have the best conditions during mean, or can a country select its own definition vement of human rights, but- but we think that the Games. of these international norms? different national situations, different backgro- "The working conditions will be the same or Questions like these were addressed bluntly unds and different stages of development can even better than in previous games in other co- in the first public debate beween the Chinese lead to different needs in so far as human rights,« untries. This includes the freedom of movement organisers of the Olympic Summer Games Weijia said and referred to the fact that China ac- and the freedom of reporting," Weijia promised. 2008 and a conference room packed with jour- count for ¼ or 1/5 of the world population. Professor John Hoberman of the USA refer- nalists and sports researchers on the alert. »The biggest demand in my view is the legi- red to China's use of the public executions and Vice Director of the Media and Communica- timate claim for development, a better life for. asked if the selling of the executed prisoner's or- tion Department for the 2008 Olympics organi- Over the past 20 years the Chinese government gans to foreign patients was legal in China. sers, Sun Weijia, accepted to face the challenge has succeeded in improving the improving the Weijia stated with all clarity that it was illegal, of a direct and unrestricted debate. living standards for all these people, and I but questioned the validity of the information. For Weijia, it was important to outline Chi- think this is the biggest contribution a country Also, he did not feel competent to say if Chi- na's organisational and the practical preparati- can make to the cause of human rights.« na's use of the death penalty would be chan- ons for the games. Olukayode Thomas of Nigeria then asked ged before 2008. He expressed his belief that the games will what a high standard of living is worth without With that, the session drew to a close. Con- leave a legacy of significant progress in Beijin- freedom. ference coordinator Jens Sejer Andersen than- g's infrastructure, provide greater international »In China freedom for everybody is gua- ked the vice-director by saying: exposure for the nation's culture, and further ranteed by the constitution.« countered Sun »This readiness for unrestricted dialogue po- integrate China into the global community. Weijia. ints to two things: the great professionalism of When the floor was opened for debate, the »We have rights guaranteed by our consti- the Chinese organisers in the preparation of the participants did not spare political sensitivities. tution. People can go everywhere they want, Olympic Games 2008 and the hope that these ga- Even the first question touched the nerve that do everything they want to do and they can mes will be a part of a mutual learning process.« was to last for half an hour's questioning. How work or not as they like. would the Chinese deal with the question of hu- The staging of the Olympics will certainly The official website for the Olympic Games in man rights in the period from now until 2008? improve democratisation and modernisation Beijing is www.beijing-2008.org

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THE SOCCER DRAMA GOES ON The months after "Play the game" brought new important chap- ters to the drama about FIFA in which its president Sepp Blatter and the British reporter Andrew Jennings from the Daily Mail play important - though very different - roles. A football leader December The authorities in Zürich legal proceedings against Blatter due to lack of evidence. Blatter had been reported to the police in May by 11 of 24 members of the FIFA Executive Committee as with rare courage a reaction to a report on alleged irregularities written by the then secretary general, Michel Zen-Ruffinen. The prosecutor in Zürich says that the Executive Committee had approved of some of the actions that Blatter was accused of. He When a handful of international soccer leaders also states that some of the actions may have been considered irregular in other company types than FIFA. According to the suddenly pulled out, Jim Stjerne Hansen gave a crown witness Zen-Ruffinen, he himself was never questioned during the police investigation. last-minute accept to oppose the critics of FIFA

January When questioned by Andrew Jennings about ballot rigging at By Steen Bille the FIFA presidential elections in 1998 and 2002, Sepp Blatter admits that "mistakes had been made and now I will take action." An internal investigation is set up against Jack Warner, ne of Play the game's most lively Jim Stjerne Hansen took Jennings and president of CONCACAF and a close ally of Blatter. sessions featured the testimonies Weinreich's disclosures calmly, then de- of two investigative journalists – fended the DBU's support for Blatter March O A local Swiss court orders Somalia's FA boss Farah Addo to pay Andrew Jennings from the Daily Mail with these words: damages to FIFA President Sepp Blatter for defamation. Addo and Jens Weinreich of Berliner Zeitung – »We found that the African opponent, must pay Blatter $7,500 compensation after claiming that bri- detailing corruption and intrigue in inter- Issa Hayatou, did not present a real alter- bery had assisted the FIFA president's re-election in 1998. national football. Their stories documen- native. Besides, FIFA has many good ted a quagmire of bribes, corruption and things to offer – it has built up football March dubious financial transactions, which, ac- into the most popular and profitable Andrew Jennings writes in the Daily Mail that Blatter has recei- cording to their evidence, are all part of a sport in the world.« ved a secret annual payment of around 3,600,000 Euro a year day's work for international football's go- Before Jim Stjerne Hansen's address, on top of his generous salary since 1997. This payment should verning body, FIFA. both Jennings and Weinreich had piled have been ordered by FIFA's ex- president Joao Havelange as Faced with these charges, a number of one revelation on top of another – includ- a "loyalty bonus". FIFA defenders chose to cancel their at- ing stories of committee members wan- tendance a few days before the confe- ted by the police for fraud in Argentina, March rence began – adding to the substantial Brazil and Russia, the buying of votes, fi- FIFA and Sepp Blatter decide to take legal action against An- number of soccer leaders from FIFA and nancial irregularities, widespread fa- drew Jennings and the Daily Mail for their writings. The case will UEFA who had said no to public debate vours for friends, and manipulation of FI- be brought to a British court. in the first place. FA's influential committees. In addition, However, despite being well aware Jennings maintained that Blatter used April that he would face criticism from both the FIFA resources to finance his own Andrew Jennings and the Daily Mail disclose that president audience and the panel, one man from successful election campaign. Blatter has appointed an associate of 40 years standing to in- the football establishment was willing to Fraud was also the subject of Jens We- vestigate the election fraud. The head of investigation is Marcel appear to the conference at just a few inreich's disclosures regarding the bank- Mathier who chairs FIFA's Disciplinary Committee and, like hours' notice. That man was Jim Stjerne ruptcy of FIFA's marketing company ISL Blatter, grew up in the Swiss canton of Valais Hansen, General Secretary of the Danish in 2001. Despite realising a vast income If you want to be updated on the further chapters of Football Association (DBU) – which, last through the sale of global contracts and this story, you can join the Sports Intelligence Unit at April, supported the re-election of FIFA TV rights, Weinreich claims that ISL's www.play-the-game.org President Sepp Blatter. profits were squandered through finan-

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cial speculation, the provision of consul- have power, football can no longer be de- allies of Sepp Blatter find themselves tancy jobs for friends, and the draining of scribed as a 'beautiful game'. charged with corruption, human rights cash into secret bank accounts. violations and other irregularities in their Today, FIFA has founded a new mar- In his presentation, sports editor Jens native countries. keting firm, designed to make money Weinreich presented important back- You can find the interventions at through the promotion of all the large ground information about the relation www.play-the-game.org FIFA events. As a journalist who has in- between the bankrupt ISL/ISMM group vestigated FIFA for many years, Jennings and FIFA. summarised his and Weinreich's presen- Andrew Jennings told how aston- tation by saying: 'As long as these people ishingly many among the close political

The Many Faces of Football

In Argentina, both oppressors and the oppressed celebrated their nation's World Cup triumph in 1978

the 15 visiting teams consent to take part? He pics in 1936. He suggests that the Argentinean By Kirsten Harkjær Larsen' poses numerous similar questions – many of people's apparent lack of concern was due to which still remain unanswered. ignorance and fear, but also a belief that the id you know that the dictatorship's lar- »This could be because the answers would game belonged to the people, not the military. »Dgest torture centre was situated just a bring shame on the nation« he continues. Whatever the underlying causes, the 'Mothers thousand metres from the River Plate Stadium »How could it be that millions of Argentineans of the Plaza de Mayo' stood very much alone where the World Cup matches were played?« celebrated goals with such passion in the midst with their protests. Despite the fact that the re- asks Argentinean journalist Ezequiel F. Moores of all this terror?« gime came under criticism from both the play- during his harrowing account of the human When Argentina won the competition, the ers and press, no journalist, player or manager rights abuses which accompanied the football leaders of the regime, exiles, prison guards and from the visiting nations paid a visit to the pro- World Cup in Argentina. Moores states that be- prisoners all joined in the celebrations. In the de test on the plaza during the tournament. Unlike tween 1976 and 1983, the Argentinean regime Bonafini household, the husband celebrated the Plaza de Mayo protestors, Joao Havelange, murdered 30,000 people and tortured somet- while the wife – Hebe de Bonafini, President of was able to draw full advantage from the event. hing in the region of 5.000 in 340 concentration the dissident group 'Mothers of the Plaza de Two days after Argentina's victory, he declared: camps across the nation. »The prisoners at the Mayo' – sat in the kitchen and cried. 'now the world has seen the true face of this na- Marine School were so close to the stadium that »It is ironic,« says Moores, »that the game of tion'. they could hear the cheers from the crowd at football can be used – and misused – by both »It seems that sport can serve any god« was the same time as the shrieks from their tortured the oppressor and the oppressed.« the conclusion of the chairman of the session – colleagues,« he adds. He adds that the 1978 World Cup was Jens Brinch, Secretary General of the The Sports Moores questions how FIFA, the internatio- clearly used as a tool to legitimise the Argenti- Confederation of Greenland – after hearing nal football federation, could have allowed fo- nean dictatorship in the eyes of the outside Ezequiel F. Moore's story. otball's world championships to take place un- world – the most explicit example of political der such conditions. And moreover, why did manipulation of sport since the Berlin Olym-

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“ I think you and your colleagues have created an important space for change ” Robert Davies, Chief Executive, The Prince of Wales International Business Leader Forum, United Kingdom

EXTRACT Industry or independence? Survey of the Scandinavian sports press

By Søren Schultz Jørgensen

ports journalists in Scandinavia declining. All recent usage statistics of An entertainment ghetto about male consistently turn a blind eye to sports coverage in leading Danish media sports icons – a ghetto for male readers. He- S the real challenges facing the show a drop off in consmer interest. The alth-related, economic, political and social world of sports. In their daily sports cover- late sports news on Danish channel TV 2 dimensions of the sports world, provenly of age, the leading newspapers of Denmark, has dwindled from 744,000 viewers in more interest to the female readership, are Sweden and Norway almost exclusively 1994 to 289,000 today. The late sports ignored wholesale by the current brother- carry entertainment-type articles about news on Danmarks Radio's television has hood of sports journalists and editors. high-profile athletes, top clubs and popu- lost some 50,000 viewers since 1996. Fol- The main findings of Monday Morning's lar spectator sports. The type of journalism lowing this trend, it is clear that the leading analysis, grouping Scandinavia as one, offered in Scandinavia is basically uncriti- Danish newspaper Politiken within the are shown in figure two. cal and shyes away from dealing with wi- month will cancel the most ambitious gam- der issues such as the sports world's impact ble in Danish sports journalism recently – A summary of our findings on society in regards to social, economic its twelve-page Sunday sports supplement k Results, summaries and advance cover- and health-related issues. – citing poor reader and advertiser re- age fill the columns. Eight out of ten artic- Monday Morning's analysis of nearly sponse. les deal exclusively with current elite sport- 3,200 sports articles from nine leading The editors interviewed by Monday ing events. Either as advance mention of Scandinavian newspapers shows that articles Morning state a need to rethink focus in or- an upcoming match, or as reportage from focusing on the broadly based sports and der to address the fading public interest in a recent event. athletics that more than 6 million Scandinav- results- and entertainment-based sports k Focus on big-money televised sporting ians participate in, make up less than 1 per coverage. events. cent of the total sports coverage. Likewise, Bo Malthesen, editor-in-chief of Politi- Football is the subject of 52.2 per cent of all articles dealing with the sports industry that in ken states, »We need to acknowledge written sporting journalism in Scandinavia. Scandinavia boasts a yearly turnover of tens that we have created a ghetto of sports In each of the three Scandinavian countries of billions of Danish kroner, make up just 7 coverage. A ghetto of sports results, different sports are given top priority – but per cent of the total columnage in the sports entertainment and top events catering to seen collectively, televised and sponsor-fri- pages. The lion's share of sports coverage, a narrow interest. endly elite sports receive most of the media 85 per cent, focuses on the stars and events By pigeonholing issues and editorial attention. Following the all-dominant sport of commercial elite sport. staff, we have lost the attention of readers of football, the ranking of sports receiving The most important contemporary de- who are interested in issues such as sports coverage is: Handball with 8.1 per cent, ski- velopment that sports journalists are igno- in relation to business, health and keeping ing and winter sports with 8.0 per cent, ring is the fact that the Danish people are fit, local voluntary work and so forth.« cycling with 5.2 per cent and ice hockey with losing interest in competitive sports. This 4.4 per cent of total coverage. trend has been ongoing since the late eig- Blinkered entertainment k Uncritical journalism dominates. Only hties, and is a real challenge to media en- Our analysis shows that the ghetto- four years after the greatest scandal in mo- terprises: Readership interest in printed metaphor is a very accurate portrayal of dern sporting history – the revelations of and broadcast sports journalism is steadily contemporary sports journalism. doping in the 1998 Tour de France – it is

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spotlight a national athlete who is parta- king. The tennis-player Kenneth Carlsen is heavily covered, despite being a modest world number 122. The female handball teams of Norway and Denmark receive a boatload of coverage during champions- hips despite female handball being little more than a curiosity outside the Nordic region.

Journalism terrible at responding to development Bjarne Ibsen, director of the Research Insti- tute for Sport, Culture and Civil Society, la- bels the results »lamentably familiar.« In Bjarne Ibsens view it is sports journa- lism's negligence that causes the problem: »Sports journalism is in fact terrible at responding to developments in the fields of sports and athletics. It has been documen- ted that public interest in elite and compe- titive sports is dwindling. The population's interest has shifted and elite sports and athletics are heading into a crisis. Unseen Less than noteworthy that only 19 per cent of sports by the media, a whole new sports culture is 1 percent of journalism takes a critical angle. The sub- emerging. the sports pages ject of doping only takes up 3.8 per cent of The media is actively dealing with the total columnage. consequences of this shift in interest – in a deal with the Eight out of ten articles are uncritical re- deflated football economy, and in the large daily sports portages or news. television networks' inability to sell televised life of the media k Women nearly invisible. If not for female matches. But as yet, no sports journalist audience, handballers and Norwegian female skiers, has given attention to the reason for the Søren Schultz women would be almost absent from the crisis.« Jørgensen proved sporting pages. A mere 8 per cent of sto- Mr. Ibsen refers to the grave financial pro- ries focus on female sports and athletes. blems faced by top European clubs after the 12 per cent of stories carry a mixed-gender transmission rights-owning broadcasters focus, and 80 per cent focus exclusively on have fallen like dominoes during 2002, pri- male sports and athletes. marily because of inability to sell the rights to k Politics, money matters slighted. Despite televised top events at the high prices at a long presence on the stock exchanges, which they were originally obtained. an annual turnover amounting to billions of Danish kroner and government subsi- Television determines priorities dies in Scandinavia collectively running The analysts, editors and journalists inter- into billions of Danish kroner, only 8 per viewed by Monday Morning all point to te- cent of sports coverage focuses on econo- levision as the central, problematic influ- mics or politics. ence on sports journalism. k Popular sports unpopular with the press. The written press increasingly focuses 35-40 per cent of the Scandinavian popula- on televised sporting events – as these tion partake actively in sports on a local ba- events are reasoned to automatically carry sis, and more than 2 million Scandinavians a high reader interest and thus help sell voluntarily lead local athletic and sports as- newspapers. sociations. Despite of this, community- ba- Media researcher Ulf Wallin at the Uni- sed and amateur sports receive less than 1 versity of Göteborg has no doubt that ties per cent of the total sports coverage. A solid too close for comfort developed between 85 per cent of sources for sports journalism television, the written press and the com- are top athletes and their trainers and ma- mercial sports industry. nagers. From a comprehensive analysis of the k A free space for unbridled nationalism. development of Swedish sports journa- 6 out of 10 sports articles have a national lism carried out by Mr. Wallin in 1995, he focus. 40 per cent of international articles learned: õ...

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Industry or independence?...

õ... »TV especially – but also to an extent »A kind of holy trinity exists between me- the written press – have entered into a near dia, the professional sports clubs and symbiosis with the sports industry. money interests. Too much sports journa- Advance coverage of large upcoming lism uncritically serves the industry.« events is gradually becoming a primary As 85 per cent of sports reporting uses focus. In this way, the media creates in- top athletes and their trainers as sources, terest and revenue for large elite events – close personal relations between reporter and these in turn provide journalists with and subject arise – an issue of long debate good copy. In doing so, local sports and amongst journalists. The Norwegian me- athletics are starved of media attention dia researcher Gerd von der Lippe from and therefore find it difficult to secure the College of Telemarken puts it like this: sponsorships and recruit members.« »Sports journalism is different from virt- A similar view is offered by Kirsten ually all other fields of reporting in that the Frandsen, researcher into sports journa- jounalist follows the athlete so intensely, for lism at the University of Århus: long periods of time. You become friends »The top sports are those whose organi- with the athlete, camp and travel with the sations are good at selling broadcasting person and become in effect a great fan of rights. In this way, television determines for their success.« the written press what is relevant to write Olay Skaaning Andersen of Ekstra Bla- about.« det acknowledges the problem: Kirsten Frandsen points out that motor »The person who writes the spirited re- sports in Denmark enjoy five times the me- portage on a match or an athlete cannot dia coverage of yachting. be the same person who writes the critical, The 55.000 active practitioners of probing analysis of organisations and fi- yachting in Denmark outnumber the nances. 15.000 people actively involved in motor It just won't work..« sports by more than three to one. Also, Danish yachting performs sub- Better than their reputation stantially better internationally than Danish The sports editors and journalists inter- motor sports. But the motor sports have viewed by Monday Morning all agree that more money and are better at selfpublicity. during the last decade, sports reporting Olav Skaaning Andersen, sports editor at has improved. 3,200 articles studied the large Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet, reje- Olav Skaaning Andersen of Ekstra Bla- cts that the written press takes its priorities det adds: The House of Monday Morning's survey of sports journa- from what is televised, ø... ø... but feels in- »In broad terms, sports journalism is lism in Denmark, Norway and Sweden is based on an stead that broadcasters have lost their inte- much better than its reputation. Today, analysis of 3,196 articles from 9 leading daily newspa- grity: sports journalism is a mixture of many dif- pers. The study is financed by DGI (Danish Gymnastics »Even the big public-service broad- ferent genres and approaches: Reportage, casters are so focused on the sporting economical analysis, politics, critical por- and Sports Associations). events they themselves televise, that they in traiture, et cetera. Just ten years ago it was their news broadcasts almost exclusively nothing like this.« carry stories related to 'their own' events. It »In the mid-nineties a new generation of throws journalistic integrity to the wind.« journalists created a new, critical type of An interesting result yielded by the Mon- sports journalism. Regrettably, this type of day Morning analysis is that less than 1 per reportage seems to have peaked with the cent of sports reporting is concerned with Tour de France revelations and the IOC sponsorships, and just 5 per cent of artic- corruption scandals. I feel that in the last les deal with the large international sports couple of years, critical sports journalism organisations – such as UEFA, FIFA and the has lost ground,« Olav Skaaning Andersen IOC, and national sports organisations says. such as NIF (Norway), RF (Sweden) and Both Olav Skaaning Andersen and Jyl- DIF (Denmark). lands-Posten's Henrik Brandt – one of the These large organisations not only exert Danish reporters who has written the most major influence on sporting rules and tour- about broadly organized sports and athlet- naments, but also pass judgment on doping- ics – maintain that sports journalism must cases and so forth, and negotiate substantial also be allowed the liberty of enthusiastic broadcasting rights. reportage, fascination with its subjects, According to Bjarne Ibsen, there is a and national pride. logical explanation as to why the individual »You can't begin every football match merchants and large organizations of sport reportage by uncovering a problem. There seldom are subject of inquiry: has to be room for the joy of the game.

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Play the game is unique and irreplaceable in what it does “to educate both sports journalists and media scholars alike. It was the best (and most fun) conference I have been to. Festival The panelists revealed outstanding information on current trends that are important to analysis of what we collectively call the "sports world" Journalism Iri Cermak, Sports Researcher, USA ” By Marlene Jensen

hen sport is festivity it implies some special challenges for a journalism Wthat is trained to report what is me- asured and weighed. However, it is not an im- possible task. »Sport and festivity isn't two separate parts. However, this is the way they are represented in the media. That is neither true to the history, reality or development,« says scientist, culture sociologist and historian, Henning Eichberg, situated at the Research Institute for Sport, Culture and Civil Society in Denmark. He believes that sport journalism has a di- Sport also has to be a break from business storted priority in its focus on results, records news and other mundane reporting. You and stars and in its deviation from covering have to respect that sports journalism is a events that don't produce top performances slighty lighter genre,« Henrik Brandt says. and where techniques and tactics don't come into play. Who cares for somersaults? »While there doesn't exist any specific festi- In Olav Skaaning Andersen view, reportage val journalism a whole professional world has on broadly based sports and athletics is arisen around sport journalism. However, ba- downgraded because of its lack of appeal in sed on a case study of the Landstævne (a Da- print. The readers just aren't interested. nish sport and culture festival, red.) I have Henrik Brandt strongly disagrees with this: some examples illustrating that it is possible to »Many sports journalists probably feel that measure and weigh popular sport too,'«he the readers don't care for ordinary somers- says. aults. But it is our duty to show that there are The record: 'Great box on ears – Falling part- other aspects to those somersaults, and lism, but neither have any manifestoes re- icipation at DGI's festival in Bornholm gives more aspects to the more broadly based ady. »We know that 51 per cent of the adult deficit of millions' (Ekstra Bladet) sports and athletics,« he says, pointing out a Danish population partake in sports. When The stars: 'Veterans: The Heroes of every recent commitment by Jyllands-Posten into we look at the amount of readers who turn day sports' (Jyllands-Posten) investigating sports in relation to health and to the sports pages, the numbers don't tally. The show: 'Encounter – 40,000 educed by fitness. The newspaper wrote about prescri- Clearly, something is wrong,« Brandt says. dreamlike atmosphere at the opening of the bed physical exercise, about physical educa- Media analyst Kirsten Frandsen finds it gymnasts' festival' (Ekstra Bladet) tion in schools, and about the organisations difficult to point to a single initiative that The spectacular – the event inside the event: of broadly based sports and athletics. "I have can reverse the trend, shifting sports jour- 'Water, water and water again' (Bornholms Ti- never seen such a strong response from the nalism away from uncritical entertainment dende) readers. My sources were called to the Da- and domination by commercial interests. The stage of cheers: 'Pleasure of life at the nish Parliament for consultation. It really trig- »I must admit that I am pessimistic. There is festival – Rain showers, storm and festivity for gered a debate – it was very satisfying. Also, a tendency for parts of the sports world to the community' (Ungdom & Idræt) I got many letters from female readers who become unreasonably greedy for money. »However, festival journalism is more than were happy to at last find something worth Maybe it is the audience that will draw the sport journalism. It is a historical and poetical reading in the sports pages." "But it's a bit of line somewhere,« Kirsten Frandsen says. genre containing a sensitive balance between a struggle to write this type of story and fight Is it this line that is right now showing up the objectivity and subjectivity of the event for it to be included in the sports pages, and in sports statistics and viewer ratings? In and the cross roads of the cultural, political not moved to the health or domestic pages. the coming years, maybe sports journalists and emotional relations. This is why festival of Also, it is an area you won't gain any prestige will tell us. popular sports not just shall be measured and from writing about,« Henrik Brandt says. weighed – it's a cultural event and culture is a Both Brandt and Skaaning see a clear Søren Schultz Jørgensen [email protected] struggle – a struggle for giving each moment of need to rethink and develop sports journa- Translation: Sune Watts life more meaning,« says Henning Eichberg.

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ternational business mergers, Norwegians are left with the impression that their country lacks influence,« she continues. »When the Norwegian media holds the Swedes up to ridicule and scorn,« she adds, »they are attempting to create a national iden- tity at the expense of their neighbours. »First and foremost, the construction of a national identity is about what a nation is lacking. Only afterwards is it about what a nation can cele- Norway needs brate. Most Norwegians prefer to see them- gold medals selves as 'special' people – 'we' as opposed to in order to Sweden – 'the others'.« feel important, Clean and honest Gerd von der Norway's athletes won a total of 11 gold medals Lippe finds in Salt Lake City. And if two gold medal-winners (above) had not tested positive for drugs, the tally would have been 13. 'Take their medals' and 'The people demand the medals back' read some of the headlines the day after the positive tests were confirmed. Speaking to Norwegian TV2, Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik joined the clamour by expressing his opinion that the 'cheats' should

POLFOTO lose their medals. However, although they had / been officially disqualified, IOC president Jacques Rogge did not bow to demands that the athletes physically return their medals.

CLAUS BONNERUP The media portrayed the drama in clear : terms of right and wrong, stating: 'Bondevik is FOTO representative of Norwegian honesty, while, in contrast, Jaques Rogge and the rest of the IOC are cowards who shirk from their responsibili- ties.' Fair game for nationalism? However, according to Gerd von der Lippe, the Norwegian media neglected to mention two things: »Norwegian athletes were doped during During the 2002 Olympics, Norway reinforced its national identity the Sydney Olympics« she says. »At the time, through an orgy of uncritical euphoria the chairman of the Norwegian Confederation of Sport supported the supposed justification that the athletes had taken the substances for By Bente Mikkelsen medical reasons.« She adds that the media neglects to mention the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002, Lake City to offer the Swedes some much- how much money the Norwegian state and At Norwegian sports fans seemingly could needed divine intervention. And so it went on. sponsors pour into sport when compared to not allow their arms to drop for more than a few »To lose to a Swede is seen as the worst poorer countries. »As one of the richest nations seconds. Their athletes had a good Olympics, thing that can happen to a Norwegian sports- in the world, it is easier for Norwegian athletes winning one medal after another, many of them man« sociologist Gerd von der Lippe tells Play to win medals than those from the world's gold. In contrast, Sweden had to be 'content' the game. A Norwegian herself, von der Lippe poorer nations« she continues. »This fact is with two silvers and four bronze medals. views the rivalry in partly historical terms. »To conveniently hidden when the media assesses When the Norwegians were certain that their beat Sweden or to see that nation do badly is Norway's success.« triumph over their closest neighbour was seen as compensation for Norway's political With a smile, she concludes with a cutting assured, the nation's tabloids began to enjoy subservience to Sweden between 1814 and swipe at his country's medal-euphoria. »As themselves. One newspaper, Dagbladet began 1905,« she says. one of Europe's peripheral nations, out of the a daily briefing detailing the length of time since »Moreover,« she claims, »Norway's anti- world's political centre and with just 4.4 mil- Sweden had won a gold. Another, VG, noted Swedish euphoria could be an attempt to com- lion inhabitants, Norway needs gold medals in that Sweden had set up a telephone helpline for pensate for the fact that Sweden boasts greater order to feel honourable and important,« she depressed sports fans. Later, the newspaper political and economic influence on the world says. »We don't have much else to boast about suggested sending a group of bishops to Salt stage. »In today's world of global issues and in- except mountains, rivers and fjords.«

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When sport becomes a political tool

Is sport a means of establishing minority rights, or just a tool used by politicians?

By Karen Balling Radmer struction of ten stadiums to host football's Euro »However, she is just a human being who has 2004 and other events. This despite the fact that been used and misused as a symbol of a new the nation is currently unable to meet EU econo- era,« says Colin Tatz, professor at the Australian have all seen them – the images of top mic targets, and is being forced to make major Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, We politicians decked out in expensive cutbacks in its public services. University of New South Wales, Australia. sports gear. Just as we have heard politicians John Hoberman points to what he sees as a »No one should think that her performance speak about the need for their country to win lack of common sense amongst political leaders, will lead to 150,000 little aboriginal girls getting more medals. Olympic success is, of course, a many of whom appear unaware that sport has its up and taking up sport. The area where Kathy great thing for any nation – the fact that it does limitations. Australia, for example, was so eager Freeman comes from still has no electricity, no nothing practical to help society is deemed in its desire to see results that it came close to em- sewage system, and suffers from huge health irrelevant. ploying a former East German child-doper, problems. The average lifespan for women is 55 Professor John Hoberman of Texas Univer- Ekkart Arbeit, as a coach. The reason the idea years, for men it is 50. Kathy Freeman did not sity has taken a closer look at the reasons why was finally dropped was not his doping back- make a difference.« politicians use sport to deliver political mes- ground, but revelations that he had been a spy After a grim narrative detailing how abori- sages and create feelings of national pride for the East German secret police, the STASI. ginals have been subjected to every imaginable and success amongst citizens. He provides a According to John Hoberman politicians form of degradation by whites, how children number of examples to Play the game. and journalists are not doing enough to shift have been forcibly removed to be 'de-aborigi- Top athletes symbolise strong will, he says. the focus to areas where sport can make a real nalised' and how an entire people were nearly Both the American and Russian presidents like difference – namely, health and quality of life. eradicated, Colin Tatz gives a number of exam- to be portrayed in sports gear on TV and in pi- ples of aboriginal athletes being afforded star ctures. This sends out signals about strength of False message of hope status in his nation. Each time, he says, it has character and good health. When focus is finally placed on areas of sport meant nothing for the rights of native people in He cites the example of Norway, where politi- other than results, misunderstandings can occur. society. They are still regarded as 'slaves' who cians have predicted that 'when we can beat the After the Sydney Olympics, for example, native are permitted to become stars for a period of big countries in the winter games, we will also be Australian Cathy Freeman became viewed as an time. If male athletes became too popular am- able to hold our own in the European Union', icon by the international sports world – living ongst white women, or if they in any way and Portugal, where politicians have announced proof that sport could be used as a means 'stepped out of line', he says, they were simply that 400 million Euros is to be spent on the con- of political expression for oppressed peoples. forced back into the wilderness.

The media exposure of Kathy Freeman (in the middle) has not made any difference in living condi- Politicians tions for the should do more aborigines as It was quite simply to change the a whole, tells “ the best conference focus of sport Colin Tatz to health and I have been to quality of life, for many years says John ” Hoberman Ivan Waddington, Sports Director, University of Leicester, UK

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Sex appeal – an alternative to talent?

Sport is big business. In the fight for sponsorship and media coverage, female athletes are increasingly selling their sexuality, while the media plays along

By Marlene Jensen

a strong woman an attractive wo- a large extent, Kournikova herself or- Is man? And is a strong woman inter- chestrates the type of media coverage esting? The American athlete Marion Jo- she is subjected to. This is evident by the nes won five gold medals at the Olympic way she poses for the cameras. »Anna Games in Sydney. But even though she Kournikova is not necessarily a victim was certainly the most successful female of the media,« she says. »Not only is she athlete at the games, she was not the sexy, she is also very powerful. Without most photographed. That honour went her cooperation, the media would not to Amy Acuff, the American high jum- have been able to create the image per and part time model, who won not- which she has today.« hing. Amy Acuff has since claimed that her goal was not so much to win medals, Sex symbols but to be featured on the cover of Sports »The media has a huge influence on Illustrated. In an interview with the ma- sport because an overwhelmingly large gazine Rolling Stone, she said 'I wanted proportion of the public experience to demonstrate that female athletes can sport through the media,« continues be competitive, ambitious and success- Bernstein. »Although the media consi- ful and still retain their feminine quali- ders itself to be reflecting what is impor- ties.' Acuff's implication appears to be tant in sport, it neglects female athletes. that competitiveness, drive and success Their underrepresentation gives the im- are not 'natural' female qualities – unlike pression that they either don't exist or the ability to appear half naked in ma- they are of very little value.« Alina gazines! Bernstein adds that this lack of coverage Despite never winning a Grand Slam is partly to blame for the fact that many tournament (she won Australian Open sportswomen have difficulty finding in double with Martina Hingis in 1999, sponsors. though never a title in single!), Anna »Women did beat men at their own Kournikova is the most photographed game in the media's coverage of last sportswoman of modern times. Lindsay year's Wimbledon tennis tournament,« Davenport has achieved this feat on nu- she continues. »The women's doubles fi- merous occasions, but for every picture nal, for example, attracted more US TV of Davenport, 20 of Kournikova are viewers than the men's singles final'. published. A quick search on the Inter- However, she adds that this boom in po- net reveals the extent of the two players' pularity was not caused by a fresh ent- respective popularity. While a search on husiasm for women's tennis – rather, by Lindsay Davenport's name gives 92,100 the 'attractiveness' of the female players hits, Anna Kournikova gives 491,000. on show. »Anna Kournikova's profile is built »Appearance is important, but not at around her sexuality,« says Alina Berns- any price,« she adds. Search for Anna Kournikova on one Internet search engine and tein, an Israeli sociologist and anthropo- Despite the tendency for women to at- you will be presented with 491,000 hits and links to homepages logist based at Leicester University. »It tract more media coverage as a result, across the world. You can purchase her pin up calendar, watch is her body and her looks that get her at- Bernstein believes that by being por- the video she recently made with her new boyfriend Ricky Iglecias tention – not her performances.« trayed as sex symbols, they are being and even be lucky enough to contract a computer virus named Alina Bernstein, who is the introdu- symbolically degraded. As one example, after her. The pop band 'Binge' has a song about Kournikova ctory speaker in a debate entitled The she cites the different methods in which currently featuring in the Lycos Top Ten Video chart. Kournikova Syndrome, believes that to sports commentators refer to women and

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This initiative is the only of its kind worldwide. It is a very “important project if we want to preserve values in sport Sandro Donati, Head of Research, CONI, Italy ”

PHOTO: POLFOTO

»Sport has be- Starting come business the Day at the highest level – if you With Sport cannot provide the right goods you have to Many Vietnamese workers parti- produce some- thing else to cipate in some form of sporting sell,« says activity at four or five o' clock in Gertrud Pfister the morning. Thúy Há Nguén, from the University of a sports journalist on the English Copenhagen Language Vietnam News, is no exception

men. »An investigation showed that wo- For Thúy Há Nguén, starting the day with a game of bad- men were referred to by their Christian minton is as natural as brushing her teeth. In fact, half an name 53% of the time. This compared to hour in the badminton court is generally the first thing she just eight percent of men,« she points out. does after finishing her bathroom duties. And she does not Beauty for Sale lack playing partners – her mother, father, brother, neig- »Beauty is not something we are or we hbours and friends all follow the same routine. have – it's something we make or create. Similar morning schedules exist for many thousands of Vi- And the media has a powerful role in de- etnamese, who take over Hanoi's parks early in the morning termining the 'attractiveness' of athletes,« »Media present to warm themselves up before starting work. »Exercise is an says Professor Gertrud Pfister of Copen- hagen University. »Over half the media's female athletes excellent start for a long, deskbound working day in front of coverage of sportswomen concerns their as sterotype the computer,« says Thúy Há Nguén. appearance, not their performance.« sex symbols« Despite the fact that she is a competent badminton Like Alina Bernstein, Gertrud Pfister says Alina player, she rarely plays in tournaments. The same applies to believes that the media portrays sports- Bernstein, tennis, which once in a while replaces badminton as her pre- women as the vulnerable sex, and that media many women willingly play their part ferred morning exercise. On the tennis court she plays with researcher in the process. To emphasise her point three or four friends – but, as with badminton, they do not from Tel Aviv she shows overhead projections dis- play structured matches. When the points are not counted, playing pictures of half-naked women – there can be no winners nor losers. amongst them badminton star Camilla Thúy Há Nguén has previously been a member of a ten- Martin from her photo session for the nis club, but as membership entailed playing matches, her Smart business cover of men's magazine 'M'. Gertrud Pfister adds that the female athlete who involvement was short-llived She prefers to play for her own woman, seductive poses most in the media was, and still is, babe or sharp tennis health and well being. Anna Kournikova. In fact, sports results only begin to matter when she arrives player? Anna »Anna Kournikova is for sale,« says Kournikova knows Gertrud Pfister. »On the Internet there is at the editorial desk of the Vietnam News in central Hanoi. how to win the no limit to what you can buy – Anna Here, she helps to produce four daily pages of results and re- media without Kournikova books, pin-up calendars, ports focusing on both national and international sport. Such a any major victories and much, much more. She has become task demands sports journalists are at the peak of their form. the object of collective voyeurism.« at the tennis field khr

15 Play the game 2002 Play-the-game-Magazine-2002.qxd 11-06-2003 11:43 Side 16

A culture of sporting inequality

Africa produces many of the world's best athletes and footballers. But think of African sports stars and you think of men. Where are all the women? Governments and sports

»In Africa, sport is still seen as a man's domain. There is a broad organisation cannot wish belief that sport is not a decent or proper activity for women.« the problem This comment by Tanzanian-bborn sociologist Prisca B. Massao away, Kari serves to underline a major problem that is only now being fully re- Fasting says cognised. The vast majority of women in Africa never see a sports fi- eld or a training ground, and in most African nations, sport is the ex- clusive domain of men. »Occasionally, girls do get to take part in sport,« she tells Play the game. »However, when women get married, their husbands of- ten forbid them from taking an active part in sport - a practice which has destroyed many sports careers.« As well as traditional gender roles, Prisca B. Massao points out that other conditions exist which prevent African women from gai- Hidden ordeal of ning the same opportunities as men. Not least, sexual intimidation and abuse. »Female athletes experience sexual harassment and abuse from their male trainers as a matter of course,« she says. female athletes Studies into the subject are rare due to a number of reasons. Fir- stly, the topic is seen as a taboo area, meaning few are willing to speak out. Secondly, a lack of resources means funding for such Sexual harassment in sport is widespread and research is rarely subsidised. And thirdly, male culture decrees that under-prioritised, says a Norwegian professor men often protect each other when faced with allegations of such a nature. Those subjected to abuse are often young girls who are expe- By Bente Mikkelsen cted to obey men and assume a submissive role, she continues. n unwelcome slap on the backs- »Sexual abuse can extract a high Men, therefore, have plenty of opportunity to abuse their power ide, an unwanted suggestion or price,« says Kari Fasting, Professor of and position, and girls have no proper channels of complaint. Bro- more serious sexual demands Sociology at the Norwegian University adly speaking, this leaves female athletes with two choices – to A are far from unknown in the sports of Sport and Physical Education. »It can keep quiet or give up on sport altogether. world. Research suggests that between lead to a deterioration in the victim's »It will be a long, hard struggle to improve the lot of African fe- every fifth – and up to every second fe- emotional and physical well being.« male athlete has experienced some form Kari Fasting points out that threats, male athletes,« says Prisca B Massao. »There is no specific policy of sexual harassment. Research on the such as expulsion from a team or the relating to sexual harassment in sport. This needs to change. Such subject is rare, and it is often difficult to withdrawal of privileges, are one met- a policy should be implemented over the heads of the coaches. For judge the extent of the problem. Howe- hod in which coaches and sports lea- example, any expectation or requirement of sexual favours from fe- ver, the fact that sexual harassment cre- ders misuse their authority. She adds male athletes should be completely outlawed.'« bm ates significant emotional consequences that many parallels exist between is widely accepted. sexual harassment on the sports field

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… A wonderful conference . “I really enjoyed it and find myself IOC missing the gender target quoting all the time things I heard while there. For me it was a very special experience, to see researchers/ Contrary to the objectives, less academics and journalists actually than ten percent of the members listening to one another and having a genuine dialogue... are women Alina Bernstein, Sportsmedia” Researcher, Tel Aviv By Bente Mikkelsen

and the male-dominated workplace. he IOC is not achieving its stated aim of Although the bulk of the investiga- attracting women into its national and tion into sexual abuse focused on young Tinternational committees. athletes in elite sport, she expresses her The goal for the year 2000 was a modest belief that the problem is widespread in 10 %. However, at present, only 6.6 % of the both professional and amateur circles. IOC's members are female. »In a situation where masculinity and The highest-ranking woman in sports poli- male values are dominant, there is a ma- tics, Swedish Gunilla Lindberg from the IOC jor risk that sexual harassment can oc- Executive Committee, expresses her surprise cur« she states. »We know that sexual at this lack of progress. intimidation and abuse occur, but we »Sixty-six percent of the national committees are almost certainly only seeing the tip have achieved the IOC's stated aim of including of the iceberg.« at least one woman,« Gunilla Lindberg says. »Governments and sports organisati- »But where are these women when these ons cannot just close their eyes and wish national committees are represented at inter- Are women the problem away. We are talking about national meetings? Are women only being in- only being IOC has decided that athletes whose lives are being destroyed. cluded to provide evidence that they are com- included to there should be a mini- Why are millions of dollars being spent plying with the IOC's request?« provide evidence mum of 10 % women in on drug tests for top athletes while almost Anita White, an independent consultant wor- decision-mmaking bodies nothing is being spent on the combat of king in the field of national and international that the national by the end of December sexual abuse and harassment in sport?« sport policy and sports development, added: Olympic Com- Kari Fasting is aware that the pro- »It is an embarrassment to IOC that they fai- mittees are com- 2000 (later extended to 2001) and 20 % by blem is been discussed – but, she says, led to meet its own 10 percent minimum target plying with the 2005. Less than half of this is simply not enough. »It doesn't for women on the Executive Board.« IOC's the international sports help at all if directives are not carried request? asked out in practice,« she continues. »There is A men's club federations have a Gunilla Lindberg a danger that these discussions will be- By tradition the IOC is a men's club. Not until 10 percent female come a type of sleeping pill. For me it lo- 1981 did it get its first two female members. Be- from the IOC's representation. oks like there is a lack of will to follow fore then several women had been turned Executive Com- up on resolutions.« down at the entrance. mittee The Chairman of the Danish Gym- As the only IOC representative at Play the nastics and Sports Associations (DGI) game, Gunilla Lindberg was the subject of fessor at the Norwegian University for Sport Søren Møller points to the difficulties in- much attention. One of the questions she faced and Physical Education. volved in applying research from the concerned the possibility of the IOC operating In Norway the law requires that both sexes workplace or elite sport to local sports a quota system to ensure that half its nominees have a minimum representation of at least 40 associations, adding that the more am- are women. percent in all public boards, commissions etce- bitious an association's goals, the more »That is a suggestion which I would like to tera. This law is generally complied with, whe- harassment could be pronounced. consider« she says, »but it is not without its reas the female representation in the corporate »In normal sports associations, I think drawbacks. For example, a large proportion of companies – where gender representation isn't that you if you experience a situation of the nominees come from the national Olympic regulated – is almost non-existent. intimidation, you can simply walk away committees and the special associations.« It is hardly the threat of sanctions that makes or move to another team« he says. »I So, retorted one participant, if they don't the Norwegian observe the quotas, says Berit have no doubt that sexual harassment comply, why doesn't the IOC just implement Skirstad, but in the IOC sanctions are necessary: occurs in our associations.« sanctions against them? »Generally laws and rules are respected in In conclusion, Møller states that awa- »Sanctions don't work in a global association Norway, but other countries may not have the reness of the problem can be strengthe- like the IOC» she says. »Rome wasn't built in a same culture. That's why I believe sanctions ned through debate. day. However, I have high hopes that we will get are necessary. And what will the IOC do if the »If we ensure that this topic is not to see some positive changes in the future.« objectives are not met? If the inequality pro- seen as taboo, it will be easier to bring A more favourable attitude towards quotas blem shall be resolved it takes a commitment cases to light,« he says. was expressed by Berit Skirstad, associate pro- from the very top.«

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FOTO: POLFOTO EXTRACT Crossing the Line Violence and Sexual Assault in Canada's National Sport

By Laura Robinson, Canada, Journalist and author

riting the book 'Crossing the Line: have hundreds of names of women they could Violence and Sexual Assault in Canada's phone up in every major-league city. I went out W National Sport' was a six year journey. It with a friend in a bar, and at least thirty girls would started in the summer of 1992. My best informant have done anything to him….I doubt there's a told me if I wanted to really do a story I should go to whole lot of passion involved. In the change-room Swift Current (in Southern Saskatchewan) because, they don't have respect for girls. They spend hours "some hockey players had raped a girl and got away talking about their girlfriends, but they don't like with it." I decided to follow up on the rape story. the girls at the rink.« But I am a Toronto based journalist, and wasn't Case discrepancies For her excellent able to get to Swift Current until January 1993. At that time the girl who had alleged the rape was just When I investigated I found discrepancies in the journalism, getting out of counselling. I interviewed her lawyer, way in which the justice system had handled this Laura Robinson the investigating officer, the minister from her case. Charges were first laid against two players became the first church, and the hockey coach of the team. His on October 3, 1989. Then the investigating offi- to receive the name was Graham James. I remember thinking at cer, trained in investigating sexual assault was ta- Play the game the time that he was very careless with his words ken off the case. An "interrogator" with no training Award (p. 43) while talking to a journalist. He used the word in the area stepped in. The guidance counsellor at "fuck" more than once to describe how easy it was the high-school attended by the girl and the play- for his players to have sex with young girls. Then ers was the wife of the major owner of the team. he compared this to the NHL. »I know of guys who She took the girl into her office and told her that

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Year by the province of Saskatchewan. Murray After seeing what happened to her, girls did not Walter, who represented the girl, requested to the have confidence in the justice system. provincial Justice Department that an inquiry into the case be held. His request was denied. At the Now I was starting to understand why the time Saskatchewan was under the Conservative gang rape cases I investigated involved anal government. penetration of the girls as well as vaginal and oral. The hockey players were re-enacting, I be- I spent more time in Swift Current, trying to un- lieved, what had happened to them during initi- derstand. I understood how a rape could happen, ations. As I mentioned earlier, all but one case in- but how could such a travesty of justice take volved alleged gang rape. We are talking about place? The initial investigating officer, Ian McLean, teenagers, people who have yet to develop a told me it was very important for this story to be mature sexual self. In the case of the girls, some told. »I have to live here and I can't do anymore,« were very young-twelve and thirteen. The alleged he explained, »but you have to tell this story.« gang rapes and initiations were violent, degrading, I wondered if Swift Current was just a really sick, humiliating, and in a group. The initiations and the the players, »were good boys, they wouldn't do but isolated hockey town, or if what I had investi- gang rapes were very similar to each other. this. Drop the charges.« (She denies saying this). gated was systemic to the culture of junior hockey. I was doing this investigation for Saturday Night This woman's name is Colleen McBean. She is After five more years of investigation, it was clear Magazine, one of the oldest and most respected married to Frank McBean, who is not only one of that junior hockey had what sport sociologists call journals in Canada. They had backed me as the the team's owners and a "pillar" of the Western a "rape culture." It wasn't difficult to find more ju- story kept getting larger and larger. But a new Edi- Hockey League, but also the former law partner of nior hockey teams that had been charged with tor-in-Chief took over. His name is Ken White, and the Crown Attorney supposed to be prosecuting sexual assault. In all but one case, gang rape was he had at one time been a sports reporter for the the players. alleged. What was difficult was getting anyone in Lethbridge Herald in Alberta. By this time, I could I'm not trying to say that girls who don't fit the the hockey establishment to talk about this pheno- have done yet another story-this time on the Let- description of this girl aren't innocent when they mena, or any convictions. There were a lot of pie- hbridge Hurricaines. In total I had at least twelve report a rape, but the girl who alleged the rape ces to the puzzle. And then, I happened to read a case studies to back up the main stories I had had just turned seventeen, went to church every very small item in the Toronto Star Sports Section done for the magazine. Sunday, was a virgin, and had learning disabili- on March 1, 1994. One hundred and thirty-five ties. She was taken to a room at the police station sex crime charges had been laid against the sen- The story was supposed to run in April 1994, but and interrogated for over two hours on November ior players, owners, coaches, and trainers of the Mr. White wanted re-writes. He wanted proof that 1, 1989 with no counsel or parents present. Tilbury Hawks, a Junior C hockey team in Sou- what I had uncovered was a recognized phenomena Finally she said, »Maybe I didn't say 'no'.« thern Ontario after a player went to the police. The amongst sports teams. No one in Canada had yet The charges against the players were imme- team had held an initiation for their rookie players. done a study to see if hockey teams had a greater diately stayed, and public mischief charges were propensity towards rape, both within the team, or as laid against her. Meanwhile the two players had When I read the police description of what had a team. But sport sociologists in the United States been traded to a team two time zones away. Their been done to the boys and interviewed the player had commenced studies on NCAA football and ba- names are Wade Smith and Brian Sakic. who had gone to the police, I realized they had sketball teams, and found that female students had The trial took place in January 1990. The play- been subjected to pure sado-masochism. There alleged much higher number of sexual assaults by ers agreed that they had done everything to the was a litany of "games" performed on the players, these athletes than by male athletes from other girl that she described, which included penetra- one of which occurred when the trainer for the sports, and than non-athletic men. This study was tion in three orifices, and admitted that "there had team put marshmallows up the boys' rectums. The written up in a peer-reviewed journal and was even- been blood." In fact, she bled heavily the night of game consisted of them pushing the marshmallow tually published in book form. the alleged rape and continued to bleed intermit- out. Whoever got theirs out last had to eat the Mr. White was not satisfied with this information tently for the next two days. They said she begged other contestant's marshmallows. This was just one and continued not to publish the piece. I re-wrote for more. The girl said she begged them to stop of the many "games" that centred on the boys' and re-wrote, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, and was terrified. rectums, penises, or mouths. in the fall of 1995, I refused to do another re-write Presiding Judge Harding found the girl not I was digging into a rather horrific area for over and went to the CBC TV's the fifth estate. We had guilty and wrote that as a result of the "degrading a year now, but at least it was starting to make worked on a documentary three years earlier on and disgusting" incident, the girl "suffered consi- sense. I consulted with sexual abuse experts who male coaches and the sexual abuse of female ath- derable physical and emotional pain…That's not explained that victims, particularly boys, despe- letes. At that time they told me they wanted the ju- sympathy. That's fact…It became clear to her that rately want to get rid of what they call "the bad nior hockey story if things didn't work out with Sa- [the hockey players] had no feelings at all for her feeling" they have from abuse. They are also very turday Night Magazine. and had merely used her for their own sexual angry and frustrated with the powerlessness they gratification….She honestly believed that what feel, especially when they have been abused by We shot the documentary that winter and spring happened to her…was not by consent." men they looked up to and trusted. One of the and it aired in the fall of 1996. After the piece went ways they believe they will get rid of these bad fe- to air, Don Cherry, who hosts Coach's Corner also Despite showing in a court of law that there elings is to transfer them to someone else. They on CBC TV, denounced the piece as "tabloid journa- was no basis for the public mischief charges, but frequently mimicked the abuse they suffered onto lism." He looked at the camera and declared, considerable basis for the sexual assault charges another victim. I talked to more girls in Swift »Mom, dad, you have no reason to think that junior against the players, the charges against them Current. It turned out the girl described above hockey isn't safe for your son.« Within the same week were dropped. The players continued to play for was not the only one who had very disturbing Graham James, the coach I had interviewed back teams in another province, and their team-the sexual encounters with hockey players. But she in Swift Current in 1993, had been charged with Swift Current Broncos-was awarded Team of the was the only one who had gone to the police. 350 counts of sexual assault after two players õ...

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Crossing the Line ...

õ... went to the police. He had been one of Cherry's sexual abuse that was indicative of the "rape nal and physical state, but what was I to do? golfing buddies and was declared Man of the Year culture" of junior hockey. I am a writer, not a counsellor. by Hockey News in 1989. But with so many names and teams missing Today I always get the phone numbers of all from the book, people could not put together what the sexual assault centres when I am speaking in The next six months were like no other in Ca- was the essential thesis of the book. a city. And I focus on advice given to me by a nada. The sacred sport of hockey had a dirty se- counsellor: »You are responsive to people, but cret. In January 1997, Sheldon Kennedy, the NHL My publisher gave me a very good book tour you are not responsible for them.« player who broke the silence on James, went pub- and Crossing the Line sold well, but I noticed that lic. The story received huge coverage on the front every time M&S advertised their hockey books in Writing and researching Crossing the Line was pages, and multiple sport pages of all the dailies. newspapers, mine was missing, and there were no one of the most difficult experiences in my life. I It led as the first story in the electronic press for se- readings lined up in Toronto, because soon was twice denied media accreditation by the Ca- veral days, and then in March 1997, Martin Kruze, would M&S come out with an "autobiography" on nadian Hockey Association or Canadian Hockey a man in his thirties who lived in Toronto, came Theo Fleury, one of the players Graham James League. It made me physically and emotionally ill, forward about a paedophile ring that had existed coached. He would only say, »I'm not saying he and seems to have permanently robbed me of a at Maple Leaf Gardens for years. He alleged that sexually assaulted me, I'm not saying he didn't.« certain energy to really "attack" projects. I can't he and dozens of other boys had been abused for Fleury was on one of the California trips James write into the morning hours anymore, and don't years and that Maple Leaf management had co- and Kennedy had made when abuse occurred, look forward to intricate, investigative stories that vered it up and paid him off. Fifty-one victims gave and it was stated that James had come to his room will take months or years of digging and stepping testimony at the ensuing criminal trial. When one only every other night. The Fleury book had no on important toes. Half of me wants to cover the of the perpetrators received a short 2-year sen- details about the Graham James era of abuse, nor civil trial that will occur this spring when the tence, Kruze committed suicide. did it give any explanation for Fleury's continual second complainant in the Swift Current Broncos Other former NHL players also started to speak problem with drugs, alcohol, and violence. I beli- case and his parents sue the top brass in Cana- publicly. They said they had been sexually abused eve my publisher didn't really want to delve into the dian hockey. This young man, who was sexually by Brian Shaw, former owner and general mana- culture of abuse I had chronicled because it would assaulted more than fifty times by Graham James ger of the Portland Winterhawks, another CHL upset the Canadian hockey myth to such an extent says, along with his parents, that the leadership in team. When players requested a transfer from the that the "hockey cheerleading" books that Canada hockey "knew or should have known" that Gra- team, they said Shaw would sabotage their efforts. publishes each year would be seen in a completely ham James was a sexual predator. I will be sitting different light. in the same court room as the Canadian Hockey By this time, I had signed a book deal with League and their western branch, the Western McClelland & Stewart Publishers. The final draft Crossing the Line was excerpted in Chatela- Hockey League. While I continue to have great was done by December 1997 in Toronto. At this ine, Canada's largest women's magazine, and respect for hockey as a sport, I cannot respect point it went to the publisher's lawyers with an ex- received a great deal of response, mainly from those who will be in the courtroom this spring and pected release date of spring 1998. Unfortunately, young women who had been raped by hockey their blind belief that nothing is wrong. the lawyer for M&S found much he didn't want in players. It received a good review in The Globe On the other hand, some of the responses have the book. Mainly he took exception to printing the and Mail and other newspapers across the been overwhelming. »I want to thank you from the names and locations of teams and individuals that country, but the national magazine MacLean's bottom of my heart," wrote one young man. "I was had been involved in sexual assaults and either simply did not include it in their review of all seventeen when my hockey coach first got me. He charges had been dropped or an acquittal had hockey books that were released that fall. I got a lot of the other guys and they have lots of pro- occurred. Leading up to and during the trials, called the writer in question, Anthony Smith, who blems now. I keep telling them to read your book, teams and players had been named in the media. is now the editor-in-chief, and left a message but they won't. They can't face up to it yet.« I was only writing about cases that were already in asking why he had overlooked my book. I did A young woman came to my office at the the public domain. This included the Swift Current not receive a response. University of Calgary when I was writer in resi- Broncos case. I wanted to show that the 1989 Meanwhile, a lot of abuse survivors who did dence there two years after Crossing the Line alleged rape (that never did go to trial because of read Crossing the Line contacted me. This was came out. She had written poetry about rape. The what I believe to be a cover-up) was part of the something I had not anticipated. Throughout my hockey team in her town had raped her. She loved larger picture in Swift Current. By then I had ten book tour, and up until today, survivors of reading the book and was inspired to tell her story. young women in Swift Current who told me about sexual, emotional, and physical abuse seek me She is a very bright young woman who I believe the abuse they suffered at the hands of the players. out and tell me their stories. This role has been will be telling real Canadian stories in the future. One player admitted that James paid them to have very difficult to take on. Most of these people sex with girls while he secretly video-taped it. One have told no one of their abuse, or were not bel- In the First Nation language of Ojibway in girl wanted me to use her story, but even with ieved and consequently I became a bit of an oa- North America, the definition of "the truth" is diffe- names changed she asked that I take it out. "If he sis for them. I hadn't realized that, for them, I rent from an English definition. In Ojibway it me- finds out I told you about what he did he'll come was telling their story. ans, "As much as I know from the place I now back and kill me," she said.. The relationship they had with me was very stand." In the end, I believe Crossing the Line told I believed once the Canadian public under- intense. They had often come to a reading or a truth about Canadian hockey that most people stood the relationship between the 1989 alleged had seen me on television, but I didn't know who find very difficult to hear. I am honoured that so rape and the sexual assaults committed by coach they were. They had invested a great deal of many young people trusted me with their stories Graham James on the players that they would be emotional energy into the relationship they had that contained so much pain and hurt, and that I able to see a pattern-a cycle of violence and with me. I cared, of course, about their emotio- was able to tell them.

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A congress like I have never experienced it in“ my whole career. It's an outstanding arrangement with a lot of interesting people, and it would be a pity if it could not be continued in the future. It is the only chance to present certain things on an international level

Gerhard Treutlein, Professor,” Germany

Prevents the young from suicide

Sport prevents young Aborigines from killing themselves

By Karen Balling Radmer

ntil 1960, suicides among abo- there are no elders in the society to pass from that sporting group. I'm not clai- Sport seems to rigines were unknown. It did on traditions. ming that sport prevents suicide, but give young Abo- Unot exist in the culture or tradi- »I found that among children below where there is a high level of sport, there rigines tion, and they did not even have a the age of 14 the suicide rate was 130 per is a reduction in suicide and delinqu- new faith in life, word for it in their native tongue. 100.000. A terrible rate. There were kids ency,« Colin Tatz says. but public Today the Aborigines have the highest as young as 8. I do not know how these But is sport then the magic spell you rate of children committing suicide in children form the idea of self-destruc- might ask. support is scarce the world. Colin Tatz, professor at the tion. Some of them simply said that they »There are proofs pointing in that Australian Institute for Holocaust and could not handle this life and would direction. When children belong to a PHOTO: POLFOTO Genocide Studies in Australia, has stu- take their chances "on the other side". team as a player, coach, fan, water car- died the phenomena and points out But I also found that in areas with a high rier, anything, then they do not try to three risk factors: Sexual abuse, high promotion of sport the suicide rates and kill themselves. The problem is that obsession with cannabis and the ab- the juvenile delinquency rate went many Aboriginal teams are expelled sence of sport. down,« he says. from competition, allegedly for violence »Sport means more to Aborigines »Sport means more to the Aborigines or bad language from their fans. Here it than to other parts of the population,« than to other parts of the population, be- should be noted that the Aboriginal he says. cause much of the Aboriginal society is teams almost always win,« Colin Tatz »Suicides are measured per 100.000 fatherless. There are no elders, very few explains. in the population. If you take New Zea- Christian marriages, no beliefs and far He believes that more government land that has the highest rate, it is 19-20 too many funerals. Rituals have simply funding should be used on sport. for men and 7-8 for women per 100.000. disappeared. But the ritual of belonging »I recommend sport. Especially the But among Aborigins it is 128-148. That in sport is unchanged. The sense of be- girls, who get a raw deal. For every is off the charts,« Colin Tatz says. longing, the rituals of brotherhood, 1000 dollars spent on sport, only 100 From 1996 to 1999 he went on several loyalty and discipline is still in sport,« goes to the girls, and the suicide rate field studies exploring the connection argues Colin Tatz. for girls is increasing. They used to between sport and juvenile delinquency If an Aboriginal child is expelled take tablets, but now they hang them- and suicides in Aboriginal communities. from the football team, for that child it selves. Hanging is confronting – it is He found that the Aboriginal culture means the end of the world. right in your face and they do it in pub- and society has been almost destroyed »I investigated many cases of kids lic. Hanging is associated with white leaving behind a gap in rituals, beliefs who at one time had a football career. colonial oppression. Therefore, much and values. Life expectancy is very Suicide tended to occur outside the foot- Aboriginal art contains scenes of han- short, around 50 years. This means that ball season, or when they were expelled ging now.«

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Ten meters' drugs transactions from only one pharmacy was a convincing piece of evidence pres- ented by Donati that manufacturers are willingly over-produ- cing for the black market. Unlike steroids, he says, the trade in illegal growth hormones has not yet made much im- pact on the market. This is due to the fact that their manufacture is strictly regulated. Howe- ver, Hermansson adds that criminals provide their own answer to this regulation – in the form of armed robberies. »The illegal doping trade is increasing, and the supply from legal and illegal manufactu- rers seems to be unlimited,« he asserts.

Shocking information For 20 years Sandro Donati has fought against doping and until now mainly focused on elite sport. However, during recent years he has come to realise that despite numerous disclo- Doping – not just for sures and high-profile prosecutions, doping is still on the increase. This is not only the case amongst professionals, but among amateurs and young athletes too. Presenting his findings the professionals to an audience of shocked journalists and rese- archers, Donati says: »The amateur doping presents a serious he- alth risk. Top athletes have doctors to help Large quantities of illegal sports drugs are regularly smuggled for them control the dangerous side effects of do- sale among amateur athletes. Some are even destined to fall into ping, but amateurs do not.« In cooperation with the Italian legal autho- the hands of children rities, Sandro Donati has recently been invol- ved in a large-scale investigations into hor- mone smuggling, spanning many different co- By Karen Balling Radmer hold of hormones and other banned substances. untries across the world. »It is possible to buy these kind of pharma- The prosecutor in Bologna alone finally clo- orget the top athletes. They are, and ceuticals without prescription in most coun- sed the case after a total of 41 people had been always will be, heavily involved with tries in Asia, Africa and South America,« points arrested and a huge amount of illegal substan- Fsponsors, many of whom are directly re- out Gunnar Hermansson. ces confiscated. sponsible for the production of illegal drugs. »Even in Europe, some Mediterranean co- The investigation involved listening in on Instead, the focus should be firmly fixed on untries permit pharmacists to sell bulk quanti- telephone conversations, which in turn led to saving children and young athletes from being ties of anabolic steroids and testosterone pro- the breaking-up of a large dealers' network introduced to the many varieties of hormones ducts directly to private individuals with no concerned with the supply of substances to fit- and steroids available on sport's black market. questions asked. This illegal trade is global, ex- ness centres. So sounds the message from Sandro Donati, tensive and lucrative. However, unlike the the head of research in the CONI, Italy's Olym- smuggling of narcotics, very few countries in- Sad conversations pic Committee. terfere in this illegal drugs trade.« The phone conservations tell a saddening story Along with Swedish Chief Detective Inspe- »The smuggling of anabolic steroids and (see box): ctor Gunnar Hermansson, he detailed a net- testosterone derivates is extensive, and has »Hundreds of thousands of amateur athletes work of hormone smuggling gangs with con- been on the increase over the last two or three are involved,« says Donati. »Every day there are nections stretching from Italy to Russia and years,« he continues. countless tragedies.« from Korea to South America. »Most of the hormone products on the Eu- For Sandro Donati, the recordings prove that »Year after year,« Donati says, »police confi- ropean black market come from the EU or from neither the dealer nor the buyer has much idea scates a growing amount of illegal performance East European countries like Russia, Poland, of what they are doing, meaning an overdose of enhancers, – especially anabolic steroids desti- Bulgaria and Romania. Another popular steroids or hormones is a real possibility. ned for sale on the black market.« source is Thailand.« Other recordings contain examples of trai- Customers are numerous, and include yo- Despite tougher regulations of the legal sale ners ordering large quantities of drugs for their ung athletes, members of fitness clubs and of hormones, Gunnar Hermansson explains athletes, or grim examples in which the dealers schoolchildren. Even in a country such as Sw- that illegal alternatives continue to appear on have no idea that the drugs they are peddling eden, where the law forbids all forms of do- the black market in large quantities. can kill. During the investigation, six bodybuil- ping, many children know exactly where to get This, he claims, can only be due to the fact ders were known to have died.

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A total of 119 fitness centres were involved in the Bologna investigation and illegal drugs with a market value of well over five million Euros For men or horses? were seized. Phone conversations inter- Dealer: 'I know, but how could Buyer: ' It's about that diet [of In all, 101 different substances were involved. cepted by the police in you do it? They're so big!' anabolic steroids] you prepared The case uncovered a network comprising of 287 Buyer: 'So they are' for me…' dealers, including athletics coaches and door- Bologna reveal the daily Dealer: 'Eh…take six…otherwise Dealer: ' Yes?' men at discotheques, encompassing 15 countries tragedies in the drug mar- you'll go mad. They are two cen- Buyer: ' Well… but… it's… it's including Australia, the USA, Germany, Russia ket, told Sandro Donati tilitres each, eh!' for… for horses!!!' and Spain. and gave a few samples: The largest quantity of such drugs ever disco- Buyer: 'And on which days?' Dealer: ' Yes, of course! That's vered by police was confiscated in Belgium in 1. Dealer: 'Mondays, Wednesdays why it's even better than the other July 2002. A total of 550 kilos of illegal anabolic Buyer: 'Listen… this week I'll start and Thursdays' one.' steroids were seized – drugs intended to be di- on the VIS (Testovis). How much Buyer: 'All right…what about 'W' Buyer: ' How do you mean "bet- stributed in six different nations. should I use a week?' (Winstrol) – still three?' ter"? Hello?… Hello?' Dealer: 'Eh...two' Dealer: 'Yes. On the other three Dealer: ' The composition is the New models for sport Buyer: 'Only?' days. Tuesdays, Thursdays and same, but the stuff is better… I As part of a wide-ranging solution, Sandro Do- Dealer: 'Two boxes…four hun- Saturdays…. You might even know, I know, I know!' nati proposes that new physical activity models dred milligrams' do…on Sundays...' Buyer: ' Are you sure?' should be designed for children and young pe- Buyer: 'Only?' Dealer: ' Absolutely sure… don't ople, supervised by specially trained personnel. Dealer: 'Then take three….' 2: worry. These phials are better Not least, he adds that the media should con- Buyer: 'When I took Viron [Testo- Buyer: ' Hi… listen… I wanted to than the other ones!' sider shifting its focus by concentrating less on viron] I used to take four a week, tell you something' Buyer: ' … Bye bye, my girl friend results and elite athletes. At the same time, he you know that eh?' Dealer: ' Tell me' is coming!' points out that information campaigns can play a big part by warning of the dangers of doping.

“ It was quite simply the best conference I have been to for many years ” Ivan Waddington, Sports Director, United Kingdom Supplements: A High Price to Pay

Many dietary supplements contain undeclared substances that are often dangerous

By Marlene Jensen

ietary supplements are regarded as be- maybe have need for extra vitamin C, iron and »Ding a safe and legal alternative to do- calcium – but that is all. Despite this, the mar- ping. However, if you believe that, it's time to ket for such supplements is enormous. In the think again. You're making a big mistake,« says USA alone, such products were responsible for Christiane Ayotte, a Canadian researcher, pro- a turnover of 31 billion dollars in 1999. A quick fessor and doping expert. »And you are not al- search on the Internet shows reveals countless one. Millions of people across the world use di- examples of protein powders, vitamins and mi- etary supplements every day.« nerals for sale online. Even in the supermar- To highlight the problem she refers to a re- than ten percent of a given substance is contai- kets, dietary supplements are freely on sale cent investigation of 634 different products ned in the supplement, producers are not le- side-by-side with other foodstuffs. from 15 nations, which found that 289 contai- gally obliged to list it on the packet.« »It is important that consumers to demand to ned substances not declared on the packet. Of She adds: »You don't need a prescription to see documentation.« Christiane Ayotte conti- these, for example, 34 contained testosterone. purchase dietary supplements, and you choose nues. »They should insist that governments re- However, despite the dangers, most countries your own dosage – that is a dangerous combina- cognise the importance of regulations and con- have little in the way of legislation forbidding tion.« trols. If, after using dietary supplements, you are the sale of these products. As a medical requirement, Christiane Ayotte found guilty of doping, you can try to claim you »None of these supplements were deemed points out that dietary supplements are often didn't know what you were doing – but that will illegal,« she continues. »As long as no more simply not necessary. Sportsmen and women not alter the fact that you are accountable.«

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The anti-ddoping code: A positive step in a dubious world

On the road to the new international anti-doping code, Play the game was the only global gathering where the code was debated in public

PHOTO: SPORTSFOTO APS

By Jonna Toft and Jens Sejer Andersen

ill it be possible for the world to agree on a common set of Wanti-doping rules? And will such rules ever be effective? These questions ignited a heated de- bate at Play the game. The heart of the matter was the se- cond draught for an international anti- doping code made by the World Anti- Doping Agency (WADA). The code was to be ratified in a third version four months later, a few kilome- tres from the venue of Play the game, at the WADA congress in Copenhagen in March 2003. But before almost one thousand go- vernment officials, organisation leaders and scientists invaded Copenhagen to agree on the code, Play the game hap- Poor countries will have difficulties Hans B. Skaset has gained internatio- pened to be the only global gathering in carrying out the intentions, and poor nal reputation for his anti-doping efforts where the code was exposed to public athletes will get difficulties when asked in a long career as President of the No- debate. to pay for their own lawyers or the ne- rwegian Confederation of Sports and »Play the game was an interesting ex- cessary translations of the legal proce- head of sport in Norway's Ministry of perience. Some of it was quite biased. edings. Cultural Affairs. There were people with strong viewpo- Also, the true willingness of sports His experiences leave little justifica- ints who expressed them strongly,« says federations like FIFA to live up to the tion for optimism regarding the the anti- Craig Reedie, member of the IOC and code is to be seen. doping struggle. The WADA con- chairman of WADA's finance committee. But the code is "as good as it gets" in a The demands on athletes are too ference in March »But we should never be afraid of fa- world where compromise is necessary: great, the doping practice is too wides- 2003 (big photo) cing up to our critics, and I hope that at »The final version of the code be- pread and too many parties have intere- was preceded by the end of the day the WADA code has came much stronger. It is more flexi- sts in the athletes' success. answered some of the questions that ble, but still has rather clear funda- WADA is no exception from that debate between was raised.« mental rules, and it includes defini- logic. It is controlled equally by sports experts like Indeed, many of the experts who tions of how to interpret the rules,« representatives and governments - and professor Hans were sceptical about the new code du- Houlihan estimates. you need to search a long time to find a B. Skaset (above) ring Play the game, do feel that the ou- government or a sports association with and Craig Reedie Doesn't justify optimism tcome of the WADA congress in March no desire to see its athletes break records from WADA 2003 was a step in the right direction. Another expert, professor Hans B. Ska- and win medals. (below) Which doesn't mean that all scepti- set from Norway, regards the success of »International sports associations are cism has now vanished. WADA as gratifying and desirable, but unwilling to prioritise resources and reminds that the world is not built on give attention to a struggle which can Uncertainties remain conference declarations alone: make sport seem less attractive,« says According to professor Barrie Houlihan »Until WADA proves that it has effe- Hans B. Skaset, from the University of Loughborough ctive power to investigate and sanction »There isn't the political will to back who has monitored the process closely, doping violations, there is little hope for up the fight against doping. This is evi- a lot of uncertainties remain. progress.« dent from WADA's finances, which show

Play the game 2002 24 Play-the-game-Magazine-2002.qxd 11-06-2003 11:44 Side 25

“ It's simple: it was just fantastic! Radu Naum, Sports Reporter and Commentator,” RTV Romanian Television

that many countries have not paid their As Italian sports minister, Pescante fees towards the agency's operational had to tolerate an attack during the costs. In a media-driven sports world WADA congress along with other go- where everything is about breaking re- vernments who never payed their con- cords, diminishing results are just not in- tributions to WADA. teresting.« The outraged attack was launched by the president of the European Olym- An Italian self-attack pic Committee whose name is… Mario If politician and sports leaders will not Pescante! Doping Doctors solve the problems, who will? Apparently, Pescantes attack on »The pressure for a doping-free sport himself did not impress him much. Doctors continue to play a major must come from the grass roots,« the When the edition of this magazine was role in the practice of doping, says Italian doping-expert Sandro Donati closed in April 2003, Italy still hadn't said at Play the game (see also page 22- payed their 2002 contribution to Leicester University's Ivan Waddington 23). »In ten years' time, drug controls co- WADA. uld be replaced by a demand for medi- By Jonna Toft cally-supervised doping.« Found listeners Though one of the worlds' most For Sandro Donati, it is in no way a new The development of substances which allow athletes to renowned anti-doping experts - and the sensation to be neglected or obstructed arrive at their destination just a little faster, or jump just official head of the research department by the sports establishment. that little bit higher over the bar, is a practice not con- in the Italian Olympic Committee In 2000, he was banned from spea- fined to a few eccentric physicians. In fact, today doct- (CONI) - Donati wasn't invited to join king at that year's Play the game - until ors play a major role in improving athletes' performan- the Italian delegation at the WADA con- CONI during the conference was persu- ces – both legally and illegally. gress in March. aded by protests from world media. »The fact that more and more doctors are involved There, the delegation was headed But Play the game 2002 may have in elite sport has meant that doping research is an in- by the sports minister Mario Pescante been another turning point for Donati. creasingly important part of their work,« says Ivan Wad- who in 1998 had to withdraw from his His fellow Italians may still not want to dington of the Centre for Research into Sport and Soci- post as president of CONI - thanks to listen to him - but WADA does: ety at the University of Leicester in England. his implication in a drug scandal un- »Play the game gave me an opportu- Moreover, he claims, sports doctors must bear a vealed by Donati. nity to make ties with WADA represen- large part of the blame for the doping explosion. Since then, Pescante has made a spe- tatives, and I hope our contact will be of »The development of sports medicine began long ctacular political comeback. mutual benefit.« ago, but over the last three decades it has increased in pace – and at the same time medical reasoning has al- tered,« he says. Success for anti-ddoping transparency »It is no longer about using sport as just one of many ways of understanding the body. Sports medicine has now become an eternal search to win and set new re- While it still remains to be seen if WADA will succeed in the anti-ddoping struggle, cords.« the global agency has already set new standards in another field in international sports. Waddington adds that at the same time, it now ap- The communication policy of WADA has been carried out in a way all sports pears that today's doctors are not particularly affected organisations can learn from – if they will. by ethical considerations. He cites the example of a do- From the first to the final day in the negociation process of the international anti-ddoping ctor meeting doping officials with a declaration that his code, everyone could follow the debates on WADA's website entire team were taking heart medicine on health gro- The comments and suggestions made by researchers, sports organisations and unds. other stake holders were simply published there without any censoring and open Instead of doctors attempting to protect their athle- to the public. tes, he says, athletes are often simply seen patients who The openness was rewarded. When the last draught of the new code was presented are required to perform better and better. on the site, it was downloaded by 22,500 people in less than two weeks! Ivan Waddington highlights the connection between sports medicine and doping with the following quote Moreover, most of WADA's congress in Copenhagen was webcasted live. from a report into blood doping in the USA's cycling For journalists, www.wada-aama.org is a useful bank of facts, documents and opinions. team at the 1984 Olympics. »In the national euphoria Unlike many international sports leaders, those of WADA has accepted the invitation to after the games, no one thought nothing of probing face the critics at Play the game with no delay. into secret places. The U.S. team had won nine med- Seemingly, WADA regards the public as a strategic ally on the road to achieve its als and dominated the cycling events. Fantastic ri- goals – why don't all international sports organisations? ders.... fantastic trainers.... fantastic cycles, wrote the press. No one thought to add 'fantastic doctors'.«

25 Play the game 2002 Play-the-game-Magazine-2002.qxd 11-06-2003 11:44 Side 26

It was a great experience listening to the topics “discussed and meeting such lovely people which will be illuminating for the future

Mario Rodrigues, Sports Reporter, The Statesman,” India

Doping's Former Homeland

East Germany turned out a vast number of doping experts – many of whom are now playing their trade in other countries

By Karen Balling Radmer

ast Germany possessed an enormous, He points out that each time a performance the next generation. There are many instan- highly effective doping system that left a requirement is set for athletes to join a team, it ces of female athletes giving birth to handi- Etrail of dead youngsters and destroyed creates a risk that – if they are unable obtain the capped children.« athletes in its wake. In spite of this, few appear required standard legally – sportsmen and wo- It was not only pressure from the politicians concerned about the succession of doping ex- men will choose to use illegal drugs. In such in- which led to the drawing up of the doping ma- perts from the former GDR taking their grim stances, he asks, who is more guilty – the athle- nual. The nation's sports organisations also knowledge abroad. These experts are still in tes or the system? played a major role in a practice that continued demand in nations that with enough desire for He underlines that the hidden doping sy- systematically, even though negative side effe- improved results and more medals. stem in East Germany was enormous. All chil- cts were documented. When wrestlers refused Moreover, despite seemingly cleaning up its dren were screened for evidence of sporting ta- to use illegal substances, they were barred act, doping does not appear have significantly lent and, each year, 10,000 were picked out. The from competition by their own sporting associ- decreased in the former East Germany. If we system employed 4,700 professional coaches ation before agreeing once again to tow the of- cast our eye over the performances of its top and 1,000 doctors. It took 5,000 to administer ficial line. sportsmen and women, they hardly seem to the system – and 1,500 were active in doping While most adult athletes knew what was have diminished. research. happening and were pressed into participa- This was the unhappy message given by »GDR's athletes were, in fact, a type of civil ting, children in the GDR simply accepted the two German professors to the Play the Game soldier,« says Giselher Spitzer. »They were well pills or injections they were given. conference. The first, Giselher Spitzer, Profes- paid, exposed to strict assessments and sworn One example is Catherine Menschner, sor of History at Cologne University, has to silence about the doping system.« who, between the ages of ten and twelve, was written a book charting East Germany's do- From the political side, it was decreed that a victim of state doping. She should have ping system. As a result, Spitzer has been ta- everything possible should be done to ensure spoken of her life after doping at Play the ken to court on a number of occasions that East Germany achieved as much sporting Game, but even today the after-effects are le- without losing a case – which testifies to the success as possible – and this directive was car- aving their mark. Catherine Menschner was accuracy of his work. However, despite its ried out to the letter. admitted to hospital while the conference meticulous research, the book has not recei- Each year, top sportsmen and women recei- was underway. ved the political attention it deserves, or pro- ved what amounted to ten kilos of anabolic ste- »The system made it impossible to say no to vided grounds to dismiss sports experts with roids – in all, two million tablets. Although ar- doping,« continues Giselher Spitzer. »It was a questionable past. One example Spitzer ci- ound 25% of the steroids used were at the trial the sports organisations themselves which re- tes is Gudrun Fröhner, formerly responsible stage, they were still given to athletes. More- gulated the dosage and wrote the manuals, for doping female gymnasts in East Germany, over, blood doping was used at a time when it while politicians expected nothing less than and now working with female gymnasts in was still regarded as too dangerous by most ot- outstanding results.« the German Gymnastics Federation . her nations. Every year the GDR submitted What he sees as one of the most serious Spitzer's colleague is Professor Gerhard 2,000 new athletes to the list of those using ar- consequences of the policy is the widely ac- Treutlein from the sports and physical educa- tificial performance-enhancers. cepted use of steroids in fitness centres today. tion studies at the University of Heidelberg. »We can estimate that today there are »What will happen when the consequen- Treutlein fears that few journalists or politici- 10,000 athletes who have suffered physical ces of this practice become apparent?« he ans are concerned about doping, and lack the harm because of the doping system,« conti- asks. »Thousands of children will be born interest to follow up disclosures such as those nues Giselher Spitzer. »At the same time, the handicapped as a result.« made in Spitzer's book. effects of doping are being passed down to

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PHOTO: POLFOTO

The German researchers Treutlein (left) and Spitzer (right) feel that their country still suffers from the GDR doping heritage

EXTRACT team doctor he proceeded to buy the UK or most other countries the and use the American version of the non-prescription Vick's inhaler bou- Vicks inhaler which appeared to be ght at the time of competition would Which rules the same product he used regularly not have resulted in a doping of- in the UK. fense. to follow? Following his medal winning per- To make matters even more sym- formance he tested positive for the pathetic to the athlete, even if Bax- presence of methamphetamine. ter had read the label on the US Sometimes athletes get trap- Methamphetamine is a substance Vicks Inhaler and found the term le- ped between different set of with two rotations, the dextro (met- vmethamfetamine, he would not rules in national and interna- hamphetamine) and the levo (le- have been able to match that term tional bodies. vmethamfetamine). Although the with any of the prohibited substance The law Professor Richard H. IOC refused to order a test to deter- listed on the OMAC banned list. McLaren from the University mine which form was present in Thus, the OMAC did not have of Western Ontario in Ca- Baxter's sample the CAS panel was regard for the fact that the levo ro- nada is a member of the sufficiently satisfied that the sample tation, levmethamfetamine, was Court of Arbitration for Sports nasal congestion and for a number contained levmethamfetamine resul- used in non-prescription over the (CAS). In his lecture, he outli- of years had been using a non-pres- ting from the use of the US Vick's in- counter medication in the United ned the dilemma and pres- cription Vick's Inhaler to relieve his haler. States. While it should be remem- ented a handful of examples: symptoms. Despite the fact that levmetham- bered that Baxter did take a sub- This inhaler is included on the list fetamine is a much weaker stimu- stance without the permission of his By Richard H. McLaren of permitted substances issued by lant, and that it was agreed by ex- team doctor he was clearly caught the United Kingdom's Sports Cou- perts on both sides that it did not in a conflict of international Rules athlete could be said to ncil. The domestic drug rules in the have a performance enhancing ef- and domestic law which was incon- be more trapped betw- United States differ from those of fect, Baxter was found to have com- sistent with those Rules. No een conflicting rules the UK. In the United States, the mitted a doping offense on a strict Although these rules were not than the United Kingdom's Alain same Vick's product has a different interpretation of the OMAC. specifically sporting in nature their Baxter. Not only was Baxter caught formulation. The American version This conclusion reveals a stark effect was to permit an over the co- up in a purely technical violation of of the inhaler contains levmetham- contrast between a permissive nati- unter cold remedy to be sold to an the rules of the OMAC but also he fetamine the levo rotation of the sti- onal law and the International Ru- athlete which in a doping context was duped by the domestic national mulant methamphetamine, which is les, which are broader and more stood to deprive him of his competi- drug laws of the country hosting included in the banned substance comprehensive. This conflict betw- tive result and serves to illustrate the the Olympic Games. list of the OMAC. een national domestic law and in- dilemma elite competitive athletes Baxter was the Bronze medallist During his time in Salt Lake, Bax- ternational Rules in this case de- face today. in the slalom at the 2002 Olympic ter began to suffer from nasal con- stroyed the athletes attempt to parti- Games in Salt Lake City. He had a gestion. When he was unhappy cipate successfully. Read more at long-standing medical condition of with the medication provided by his Had Baxter been competing in www.play-the-game.org

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"Play the game – Who's got the power?" Under“ this motto stood the congress this year. Many participants agreed that having since long taken part in this game, they had never before been tanked up with such power. Power that relied on interdisciplinary knowledge, network of international contacts, mutual respect and an unusually warmhearted togetherness. A power that the system of competitive sport needs so hard Ralf Meutgens, Sports Reporter,” Germany The Danish Minister of Culture, Brian Mikkelsen

Back to basic Inactivity is the greatest health risk values By Kasper Lindberg »Considering the challenges faced by sport it is today more necessary than ever to protect the human dimen- sion in sport,« stated Danish Minister of Culture, Brian Forget about smoking and overweight. only be activated by exercise – meaning Mikkelsen, in his opening speech at the conference. An inactive lifestyle is by far more dan- that an inactive lifestyle will see these »Only through this, we can fight violence, xenopho- gerous, Bente Klarlund Pedersen, medi- genes hardly ever activated. bia, doping and corruption. cal professor at Danish hospital Rigsho- In studies on patients with type II di- Only through this, we can maintain the values upon spitalet, told the spectators on Play the abetes physical activity proved far more which sport is based and continue the efforts for the sub- Game, Monday night. Many recent sci- efficient as a treatment than the nor- lime, the unique, and the absorbing insight into the end- entific studies indicate that people with mally prescribed medicine, Metformin. less number of possibilities of sport.« a sedentary lifestyle are indeed in grea- »This indicates that doctors should Mikkelsen is a political hard-lliner in the fight against ter risk of premature death than people not treat their patients with medicine doping and is representing EU as well as the European who smoke or are obese. but with changes in lifestyle," said Klar- Council in the executive board of WADA. »Studies show that it is healhtier to lund Petersen. She emphasizes that this »Doping is the negation of the very essence of sport. be overweight and exercise than to be demands somewhat a change of menta- The fight against doping is a question of survival to the thin and lazy," dr. Pedersen said. "This lity in the medical system – maybe even Olympic movement and international top sport in general. shows that exercise has an independent in the whole way we think about illness. The use of doping in sport is an indication of an et- effect, not only on obesity,« she added. »Because what do we do to people hical crisis of a more fundamental character – a crisis The latest discovery in this field is who are ill? We put them in bed, when where money and markets overrule human values and that the human body contains genes in fact nothing shows that this actually ethics. that are totally inactive at rest and will helps them.« The significant public subsidies to sport are to a large degree motivated by the cultural and ethical values in sport. In a period of globalisation and self-ccentredness it is of great importance to maintain some basic human values. If the ethics of sport are undermined, the politi- cal legitimacy might cease.« The Minister stressed the need of upholding values in sport: »If we cannot be sure that the clear ideals and spot- less view of human nature control sport, then it will lo- ose its fascination – then we can no longer take it seri- ously – then we risk that sport ends up being non-ccom- mittal pastime. The ethical questions in sport must be recognised within the context of a broader cultural view. Ethical qu- estions must not be reduced to single issues, but are connected to a general view of human development and human values. Sport contributes to the identity of citizens and com- munities and sport incorporates central values to the cul- tural development of society. We must rebuild the fun- damental meaning of sport and sports organisations – we must bring sport 'back to basics'.«

Play the game 2002 28 Play-the-game-Magazine-2002.qxd 11-06-2003 11:45 Side 29

Passport to remove suspicion

Sweden's latest weapon in the fight against doping is a 'blood passport'

By Karen Balling Radmer

lympic drug testing methods are not Did some slip working. Political considerations mean through the O that not enough athletes are being net in Salt Lake tested. And moreover, according to members of City? Peter the Swedish Olympic Committee, it is still too Berglund asked easy to cheat the system. As a result of these concerns, and in an at- tempt to prevent athletes manipulating blood samples, the Committee has introduced a new system known as a 'blood passport'. Bo Ber- glund, Chief Physician with the Swedish Olympic Committee, provides details of the scheme to the Play the game conference. He begins by explaining why his committee believes that such documentation is necessary. »I asked our athletes if they saw anyone While a sizeable staff of medical professors are lying on their backs in such a position before a doing their utmost to discover new ways of de- test round at the Winter Olympics,« he conti- tecting this dangerous practice, he says, an in- nues. »They answered 'yes'. This demonstrates creasing number are plying their trade on the that athletes are fully aware of this method.« Gathering other side of the moral divide – doing their best Berglund has another reason to doubt the ef- to find new ways of beating test methods. fectiveness of the test procedures in Salt Lake information In brief, blood doping involves increasing the City. According to his information, the testing amount of haemoglobin in the blood, which im- capacity of the laboratories was not fully utili- proves its ability to carry oxygen to the muscles. sed – due, he believes, to a conscious political When EPO is used, 'baby' blood cells or artificial decision. At the same time, no checks were Bengt Skött, studio host and reporter with Sw- oxygen cells carry blood round the body, impro- made for new types of artificial oxygen cells, eden's national broadcaster Sveriges Radio, ving performance to such an extent that athletes despite the fact that two types of these cells found much to occupy his mind at Play the are seemingly willing to risk their lives. And that, were already available on the market. game. Currently working on an investigation says Bo Berglund, is exactly what they are doing. According to an independent observation related to doping, he found the many aspe- Those who experiment with blood doping know report from the World Anti Doping Agency cts of this subject detailed at the conference how to begin a manipulation of their blood, but (WADA) on the test system at the Winter provided him with valuable information. In few know how to halt the process. Such a pra- Olympics, a large number of blood samples addition, he says, Play the game was an ex- ctice can end in death were destroyed, and problems were also found cellent opportunity to acquire sources and Although this method of doping has existed to exist with the paperwork detailing the tests. gain fresh knowledge in other areas. for a number of years, the Swedish 'blood pas- »After Salt Lake City we told ourselves that »I have also obtained good ideas for sport was only introduced after the Winter something must be done,« he continues. »This is many other stories' he says. »For example, I'd Olympics in Salt Lake City. There, Berglund why we introduced the blood passport. Our aim like to do something about women in Swe- was not alone in suspecting that blood-doped is to trace any manipulation of the blood, and at dish sport. Another contribution, on violence athletes managed to beat the system. the same time protect the health of the athletes.« in Canadian junior hockey, made a big im- »The Olympic testing system uncovered He points out that Swedish athletes, many pression on me. I think it did on all of us.« three blood-doped athletes. Is that because of whom are tired of the suspicions that seem to there were only three? Or did some slip thro- accompany every medal they win, generally »There are interesting presentations going ugh the net?« he asks. support the system. Although it is expensive – on from morning till night,« he continues. »The Berglund points out how easy it can be to it necessitates athletes being tested both in and conference is so intense; it can be difficult to cheat the Olympic testing system by detailing a out of competition throughout the year – the te- keep your concentration for five days in a row. variety of different methods. Athletes can arrive st's supporters claim it could pave the way for Anything more and it would be too long.« late, thus avoiding earlier rounds of testing, he new standards in international competition, Among other areas, Bengt Skött covers says. They can simply hide. And they can also and, at the same time, save lives. Blood doping athletics, long-ddistance skiing, horse trotting manipulate their haemoglobin count. A blood is a risky business. and Olympic politics for the radio. He parti- count can be kept artificially low before a test by Around eighty Swedish athletes are currently cipated in the conference partly for educa- first exercising and then sleep. The same effect involved in the blood passport system. If more tion, and partly as an element of his investi- can be achieved by consuming liquids an hour are to take part, greater resources will be needed. gative journalism work. before a test. Athletes can also reduce their ha- However, Bo Berglund believes that the adop- emoglobin count by simply lying on the floor tion of the blood passport scheme will help cre- with their feet up against the wall. ate a much better Olympic testing system.

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Sport's dual dilemma

Can commercial interests be combined with voluntary work? Leeds United thinks so

By Kirsten Harkjær Larsen and Steen Bille

he English football club Leeds also in other subjects such as reading, The project incorporates a total of 30 United is actively involved in it's writing and maths.« full time employees, 30 part time staff, Tlocal community – but in a diffe- While the club seeks to provide posi- around 100 voluntary workers and has rent way from typical voluntary organi- tive benefit to the local community, it an annual budget of a million £. sations elsewhere in Europe. The club is also aims to bring more fans to the sta- »'The club's professional players are working hard to combine its commu- dium, where they not only pay to watch also involved in the project. They visit nity with its own commercial interests. football, but also buy official merchan- local schools, where the children see Leeds United is responsible for an dise adorned with the logos of compa- them as role models,« continues Emma ongoing, large-scale project designed to nies like Coca Cola and Nike. Stanford. Children might motivate local children into playing foo- »The club can profit from its commu- »Children might not see learning as not see learning tball, learning more in school, and, at nity work by building a positive public particularly appealing – but if they hear as appealing – the same time, becoming fans of the perception and creating new, loyal fans a player like Mark Viduka tell them club. At the same time, the venture is in- of the club,« says Emma Stanford. about which books he loved when he until a player tended to attract sponsors, create posi- »While, at the same time, commercial was a boy, they think again.« like Mark Viduka tive press and influence local leaders. interest amongst sponsors is increased.« In all, she estimates that around tell them about Emma Stanford, the day-to-day lea- Within the framework of the project 100,000 children are annually taught which books he der of United's community initiative, is a learning centre at the Elland Road such topics as anti racism, teamwork loved when he explains that the project is a grass roots stadium, where children and young and healthy living. was a boy, venture that was started four years ago. people can make use of an Internet Emma Stanford points out that the stated Emma »It is intended to create a bond be- cafe, IT suite and a library with atta- club's engagement in the community Stanford (above) tween the club and the city's children ched teachers that is open six days a can also provide a boost to its overall and young people,« she says. »This has week. The work in the club and affili- standing. from Leeds United been accomplished through offering ated schools is primarily carried out by »If we are involved in the local com- help in the teaching of football, but paid staff. munity, we will better be able to influ- ence local leaders, politicians and mem- bers of parliament,« she adds.

Defining the dilemma Some Play the game delegates remained unconvinced as to whether the Leeds project was aimed primarily at serving the interests of children and the local community, or the club's sponsors. However, Lars Haue-Pedersen is one who is sure that such schemes herald the way forward. The former General Secretary of the International Volleyball Federation and current Director of the Lausanne-based firm TSE Consulting, he believes that sport can play a major role in building a feeling of collective self-confidence in a given community. If, for example, a particular country is awarded host status for a big internatio- nal event, its people will automatically feel a great sense of honour. »Sport is a fantastic way of bringing out people's sense of pride,« he says. He points out that sports associations are coming under increasing pressure from sponsors, agents, middlemen, and the public sector.

Play the game 2002 30 Play-the-game-Magazine-2002.qxd 11-06-2003 11:45 Side 31

To help encourage progress and achi- In Denmark alone, 90% of jobs in It was of great “importance to me eve a sense of pride, he says, these same sport are carried out on a voluntary ba- to get a share of the inspiring papers sports organisations must be made lea- sis. Ibsen adds that the local communi- ner and – much in the same way as top ty's engagement in voluntary work has from almost all corners of the world … athletes and trainers are judged by their also a democratic dimension. »Volun- there is no doubt that the participation of journalists, results – their leaders' work must be tary workers take responsibility for the scientists and sports leaders also from Africa, made more goal-oriented. local community,« he says. Latin America, Asia and Australia »There is not much in the way of »One can state quite clearly that vo- has an impact on several levels, competition behind the scenes in these luntary work is just as important as just as networking plays a role organisations,« says Lars Haue-Peder- turning out to vote.« sen, whose company advised China's in the global village of sport successful Olympic bidding team. New skills and physical education »For example, I have never heard of However, the conditions under which a leader of a sports organisation being voluntary work takes place are chan- fired due to lack of results.« ging. Anders Bülow, President of the In- Alice Riis Bach, PhD, Sports” Researcher, Copenhagen Today, he says, the working methods ternational Sports and Culture Associa- of many sports associations are unclear tion, ISCA, says that in order to meet and random, and the role of top leaders tomorrow's challenges, voluntary lea- is often undefined. Sometimes they ders must adapt to these changes. need to play the role of a politician, The situation today calls for partici- while at other times they must act as bu- pation before observation, he says – and sinessmen. volunteers of the future need to move Football at »An example of this can be seen in with the times by learning new skills. the agenda of a recent meeting of UEFA »You need to be in a condition to li- in Copenhagen,« he continues. sten to other people, to co-operate, to street level »It contained such varied topics as respect differences, to handle changes, the increase in racism, the development and have the capacity to be honest of dialogue with national associations, about yourself,« he says. By Marlene Jensen refereeing standards, TV rights, and the »The best arena in which to learn hosting of the European Champions- these competencies is the world of hips in 2008.« sport,« says Anders Bülow, indirectly Vladimir Borkovic is a former professional footballer. For many »It's all about adopting a new, more fo- resuming the thread to the learning pro- years he earned a living in the stadiums and playing fields of his cused, strategic approach to administra- ject Leeds United have started in their homeland, ex-YYugoslavia. tive work.' he concludes. 'In this way, the local area. Now, he has swapped his former career for one where the fo- national and international associations, cus is on softer, grassroots values and the goals are very diffe- as well as projects like the one in Leeds, rent. will provide benefit to all interested par- »I work with Streetfootballworld,« he says. ties – sponsors, the local community and »A new project initiated under the auspices of the Football public authorities alike.« Research Foundation in Germany.« Encouraging spectators He explains that the venture seeks to establish contacts be- tween street football projects across the world – from the Somatic Amongst the sceptics of the Leeds mo- Street Soccer project in Canada to Football for Peace in Rwanda. del is DGI Chairman Søren Møller. »We have established an Internet portal where different street Like most other Scandinavians, Møller football projects across the world can gain knowledge and ex- has his roots in a sports culture with a far greater tradition of voluntary enga- change experiences,« he continues. gement than either the UK or the rest of »In addition, we also work to arrange a global street football Europe. tournament every fourth year – running parallel with the World He underlines the danger of encou- Cup. The games are played in the street in order to place focus raging people to become passive spe- on the local community.« ctators instead of active participants in »Our slogan is 'Streetfootballworld – the other dimension of sport, and points out that voluntary the game'. We aim to bring young people closer together – both activity naturally follows active partici- boys and girls – and give them a different perspective on life. Our pation. Lars Haue-Pedersen intention is to hold different workshops during the tournament »We need more research in this area,« urged sports where we will provide information on AIDS, violence and crimi- he says. »The agenda will change be- nality.« organisations to cause the need for physical activity is Vladimir Borkovic has put together a small exhibition in the modernize: »I have still growing.« foyer of DGI Byen. never heard of a Sports researcher Bjarne Ibsen claims »I have the responsibility for developing a network and broad- that voluntary work in Scandinavia is leader being fired ening awareness of the project,« he continues. »That's why I'm equivalent to between seven and nine due to lack of here at Play the game.« percent of the region's combined wor- results,« he said king hours.

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A boost to ethics in the sports media

By Bente Mikkelsen

»Human beings often explain why they did so- journalists who raise ethical issues, through a mething by saying 'it felt right'. But these 'feel- free newsletter sent out almost daily from her right' decisions are only appealing because institute. The newsletters and the homepage is they fulfil an inner need to make a choice. Just a treasure chest of links to articles dealing with because a decision 'feels' right, it doesn't mean sport in society – see for yourself at either that it is wise, or that it has an ethical or www.sportsethicsinstitute.org moral basis.« At Play the game, Marcia Sage gave a Marcia Sage, a qualified lawyer and President workshop on ethics in sports journalism. of The Sports Ethics Institute in the USA, fights If the sports media distances itself from ethi- stubbornly to encourage the media to deal with cal questions, Sage says, we miss out on a de- ethics in sport. bate that can persuade people to make a stand Moreover, she boosts the attention given to on moral dilemmas.

“Such a chance to interact, exchange views and network with some of the world's top researchers and journalists is a chance in a lifetime. The heated debates that characterised the presentations during the panel meetings and thereafter shows clearly how informative and interesting the topics were Omulo Okoth, Sports Reporter, East African Standard, Kenya ” Strengthen sport's moral fibre

Sport needs to take back control of its affairs from The greatest sponsors, says a former federation president threat to democracy By Steen Bille may be democracy ig corporate sponsors are often points out, sports leaders with names like itself, warns accused of threatening the inter- Samaranch, Nebiolo and la Costa have al- Lars Martin Bnal democracy in sports. But the tered the way in which sport interacts Kaupang biggest threat may come from within with the corporate world. the sports organisations themselves. »All of a sudden, it became fashio- »Only sport itself can keep check on nable to say that if something was good the big sponsor companies it partners,« for ISL Marketing and Adidas, then it asserts Lars Martin Kaupang, former must be good for sport,« continues Lars member of Norway's Olympic Commit- Martin Kaupang. tee and currently senior consultant at »The firms created their marketing the firm MMI Sponsoring. programmes before giving any thought »Sport cannot control the content of to developing sport. At the same time, se- sponsorship contracts, but its leaders cret bank accounts and the flow of money can ensure that certain preconditions started to become a major part of the are included in the lucrative contracts sports world. This is a fact that sports le- they sign. They need to build a stronger aders would do well to address today.« ethical resolve than they have today.« Lars Martin Kaupang emphasises his Kaupang is also the former Chair- hope that sports leaders will face up to man of the Norwegian Athletics Associ- today's ethical challenges by adopting a ation – and still holds the national run- 'moral attitude' to the events going on ning record in 1,500 metres set in 1976! around them. Such ethical standards His comments come as part of a de- has for long been a public demand to bate on sport and business, centring on the corporate sector, but the sports orga- what many see as a shift in the role of the nisations seem to lack well behind. international sports leader. Since large »The greatest threat to sporting dem- sponsors and business interests began to ocracy is if democracy itself is not get involved with sport in the 1970's, he strong enough to make a stand.«

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Just do it: 450 Kms on bare feet

One Marathon is not enough for Mexico's Tarahumara Indians. They can run the equivalent of over ten Marathons in six days – without expensive equipment

By Marlene Jensen

irk Lund Christensen of Copenhagen On Saturday they slept in the city before run- University has been studying the Tar- ning the 450 kilometres home again.« D ahumara Indians for the past ten With time, word of the Tarahumara's am- years. At Play the game, he had just 30 minutes azing running prowess spread. 'In 1920 they on the podium to speak about them. A chal- were invited to participate as marathon run- lenge? Maybe so. But, as his testimony showed, ners in the Olympics,' he tells. greater challenges are faced every day by one »The two Tarahumara runners finished in of North America's most remarkable people. 32nd and 35th place. The story goes that they »The Tarahumara are the best-known long complained to the judges that the race distance distance runners in North America,' he says. was too short.« 'There is a simple reason for this – they are able Almost 70 years passed before a representa- to run 300 kilometres non-stop, or 450 kilome- tive of the Tarahumara again took part in a run- tres in six days. They can do this regardless of ning competition. whether they are barefoot, or clad in a pair of »Juan Herra participated in the 'Leadville sandals made from an old car tyre.« 100 Miles Race' in 1994,« he says. Dirk L. Christensen has brought with him a »Wearing his traditional sandals, he won in couple of these sandals which he displays to a time of 17 hours and 30 minutes. This is still a the audience. record today and no one has seen the like of They have no 'air cushion', sweat-absorbing him since.« sole or reinforced toe. Instead, they comprise of Today, the Tarahumara participate in a so- a piece of old rubber, worn thin and shaped like called 'kick ball' competition where they run a banana, onto which is sewn two leather laces 200 or 300 kilometres non stop whilst kicking a

to ensure that foot and leather remain more or small ball. The event takes 24-36 hours to com- PHOTOS BY HANS WESSING less in contact with each other. plete. However, on the whole, Lund Christen- sen does not believe that the Tarahumara's cul- Cross-country postmen ture of running is consistent with that of mo- THE TRIBE OF TARAHUMARA »The Tarahumara call themselves 'Raramuri' dern sports competition. k Live in the mountains of Sierra Madre in the which, loosely translated, means 'foot runners'. »The Tarahumara's running culture is more state of Chihuahua This name says a lot about how much running complex than just winning races,« he says. k Don't like to run on plane surfaces since they means to their identity,« he continues. »For example, the kick ball competition goes feel it's harder to judge the distance Dirk L. Christensen explains that before co- hand in hand with a large festival which involves k lonisation, the Tarahumara primarily used plenty of drinking and smoking cigarettes.« Smoke lots of cigarettes as their way of prepa their running skills for moving swiftly around If their unique talents are used for profit, he ration before a race – afterwards they drink the mountainous areas of Mexico. Later, in the also fears for their future. many beers 19th century, their running skills were utilised »If they participate in professional internati- k Live off vegetables, fruit and corn pancakes. by the Mexican government, which began to onal competitions they would certainly win Only eat meat on special occasions

employ them to transport the post or lead wild money, which would alter their living stan- k The average duration of life is 45 years. horses to paddocks. dards to a huge degree. At the same time they How ever, the tribe is plagued by a high infant »They each carried 15-20 kilos of post thro- would probably lose a large part of their cul- mortality rate ugh the mountains and on to the principal city ture. Moreover, they will never be successful of Chihuahua – a distance of between 800 and enough to achieve major success at the Olym- Source: www.raramuri.com and Dirk Lund Christensen (Univer- 900 kilometres,« he continues. »The journey pics and World Championships – as long as the sity of Copenhagen) took them six days – from Monday to Saturday. races are less than 100km,«he smiles.

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Personalities like the 48-year old Grandma Luge provides small nations with a share of the global fascination that they are usually deprived of

From Eddy the Eagle to Grandma Luge

Like a drama of Shakespeare, sport has its anti-heroes. Sports historian Jørn Møller EXTRACT analyses why they become so popular and whose interest they may serve

By Jørn Møller

probably all remember "Eddy the spends most of his time in quite ascetic sur- cular and better topics for the press than the We Eagle", who, risking his life, flap- roundings. This person is not necessarily an winning heroes, who tend to become uni- ped to a distance half as long as the last interesting one in respect to other aspects of form in their perfection of style and attitude but one at the ski-jumping competitions in life and culture than to that of extraordinary and to yield no friction for reflection and se- Calgary. physical capabilities. He is a problem for the cond thoughts whatsoever. Not to speak of And from the Sydney Games very few of reporter and for the public, who wants some number two, who is just a bad copy of num- us can remember who were second in the body in three dimensions. ber one and forgotten on the next day. swimming contests. So although sports events have lots of If it is one of the laws of fascination that We are more likely to remember the re- qualities that make them ideal media sub- perfection leaves no hold for interest, im- Jørn Møller, presentatives of Equatorial Guinea, "Eric the jects, there are also limits. The story about perfection on the other hand might offer a PhD Eel" and "Paula the Pool", about whom the victory tends to be exhausted from lack of road to public attention, and give way for journalists claimed that a life guard was ne- new words, and reporters are yearning for new media strategies. eded in order they should not drown during interesting human aspects and approaches [...] Like the clowns and the anti-heroes the competition. to their winner hero stories. They need un- in the Shakespearian drama, who yield us These characters are of course intere- predictable, touching or eccentric beha- a temporary relief from the fatal weight of sting as singular stories of human interest, viour among the top athletes. destiny, sport also requires its anti-heroes. but although the myth has to do with indi- A Lance Armstrong, for instance, with his vidual braveness and eccentricity, do not miraculous healing from cancer forms a Agents' Interests believe that this is the important part of the rescuing journalistic raft in a dessert of well- The fact, that our attention is caught by story. bred, unremarkable normality. such characters is not only important to The story about a winner is quite often a Reversed, losers in their deviance from journalists, or rather: when it is important stereotype one. A dedicated sport hero perfection sometimes become more specta- to journalists, of course it is important to a

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whole range of public agents: Sponsors, OG, than being no. 33 in the hammer own sports in order to hit the international organizers, countries, federations each world ranking [...] ranking lists. have their particular benefits or disadvan- In the Basque Country are found at tages of the participation of such anti-her- From a national point of view represen- least 11 different kinds of pelote, which are oes [...] tation at the OG is a bit more ambiguous. regional racket-ball or hand-ball games. International federations without almost The Olympic Games are by no means uni- Several times pelote has been close to any reservation are interested in growth versal in terms of access. acceptance at the Olympic programme, and worldwide representation. Aggressive, competitive superpowers as but if that happens, it will be the case for Their possibility to maintain Olympic sup- you find them in the industrial world, pos- only one form, and the other 10 are at port and recognition is thereby strengthe- sessing highly specialized top sports facili- high risk to fall into oblivion. ned, and arguments for media coverage ties, ready to accept or neglect chemical and sponsor support are sustained. manipulation of athletes, systematic, pro- A third strategy in the efforts to catch the Expansion is part of the Pavlovian be- fessional training of kids and appliance of eyes of a whole world congregated in front haviour of an international federation re- scientific methods have the preference. of the TV-screens would be to join in presenting a certain discipline and it will be Such nations with many potential medal without any consideration of the skills nee- prepared often to consider as a member holders have no interest in participating in ded in the actual disciplines, which would the smallest national federation, maybe "exotic disciplines" risking that their athletes in fact be the only option for many coun- consisting of one club with only few indivi- make fools of them selves. tries in relation to the winter games. duals as members. Although for climatic reasons not too In this case our fascination of a grandi- This logic was clearly expressed in the well represented at the Winter Games, the ose loser combined with the old motto policy of the International Luge Federation, English were not particularly happy for about participation's priority to the act of which prior to Salt Lake City ran a campa- Eddy-the-Eagle. The risk that the Eagle winning is most likely to make almost any ign aiming to create more national federa- might hurt himself, not to speak about the participant everybody's darling, thus secu- tions and to have them represented. risk of national ridicule in this very steep fi- ring his or her country valuable public re- They were very successful in doing so, eld was not attractive. putation. and in Luge you find representatives from But, of course, the big nations would countries like Bermuda, Brazil, India, Tai For a small country, however, it is im- not like it. They would prefer the pseudo- Wan and Virgin Islands. Bermuda and India portant to be put on the world map almost sacrosanct atmosphere of the hero-wors- represented by their only participant in the regardless of the reason why. hipping that suits them so well in their na- winter OG and Virgin Island with their to In this context the Olympic Games, forms tional strategies, and they would fear this only representatives. Although being among a growing necessity for small nations without aspect of sport be discredited. the last ones in the competitions the Virgin Is- financial resources and statistic probability to landers both set new records. Dinah Browne raise an Olympic winner to find ways to get Finally let´s have a look at the interests for being the first black athlete to compete in their share of the important publicity larger of the IOC and the NOC's. The NOC's de- Luge, and 48 year old Ann Abernathy with nations would always score. Similarly also finitely are in a dilemma. the nickname "Grandma Luge" for being the societies, regions or minorities being part of The committees set the criteria for sele- oldest athlete ever in the sport.’ other states realize the importance of events ction and reflect both national and sportive being reflected by the international media. interests. The national point of view tends Reversibly there are many encourage- to be identical with that of the actual state ments for a local group to get access to the One method to catch attention be the as analysed above, but what are the sport- support and international recognition they organization of e.g. "Arctic Games", "Ga- ive interests? will find as a member of an international fe- mes of the Small Countries of Europe", "In- Is it most important to participate, or deration. ter-Island Games", "Eurolympics for Small should a high level for achievements be One team that got famous through this Peoples and Minorities", "Olympics for Old observed in order to match the rank of ot- method was the Jamaican bobsled. They Folk-Sports". her delegations? practised in a sled with wheels, and a mo- These are all international event that To judge from the reactions of the IOC, vie: "Cool Runnings" was made about their have taken place among small peoples they hate these losing darlings presumably persistence. and nations with their own traditional because they are a threat to the tumid pat- In Denmark, with a rainy winter climate sports and without many chances to be re- hos of the games, their high-flown rituals, and no bobsled tracks, a bobsled project presented (not to speak of winning) at the their bombastic manifestations, their impu- for several years has tried to qualify for the Olympic Games. dent hypocrisy ... Olympics, but the Danish OC is not pre- The publicity value of this method, how- Like the Shakespearean jesters they pared to let them go. ever, is completely inferior to the fame the bring things to the ground and make pro- Further the greatest Danish talent in real OG, thanks to the world press, will en- portions relative. But that is exactly what hammer throwing, Jan Bielecki, eleven ti- dow you. the IOC fear. mes Danish Champion with fifteen Danish Consequently many small countries are Without a sacral ground for the festivities, records, has quit this discipline in order to ready to engage sports strategies that are – without the apparent control from sacred perform in bobsled. What are the motives? totally inferior to the body cultures origi- forces that seem above human influence – Probably there is more recognition and nally practiced in that particular area. events are at risk to get out of the organisers' money in being the only Danish bob team, Likewise, small nations being minorities hands and to be taken over by the profane fighting heroically to be represented at the in other states are tempted to give up their and vulgar forces of the masses.

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PHOTO: JAN GRARUP/POLFOTO neration which during seven years of ci- vil war, lost most of its childhood and all of its school years on the battlefield Football, drama and play have all shown themselves to be constructive tools in the work of rehabilitation.

Local engagement »They are small adults, who are used to others obeying orders, says Joe Hena. 'Some of them have had sexual relations with women old enough to be their mot- hers. This fact especially will give them problems when they start to be treated like children again.« Like others working for Don Bosco Homes, Joe Hena has seen how ball games and play can reduce stress a- mongst the former soldiers. The ap- proach is first to hold meetings in which the children talk about the problems ex- perienced in their daily lives. Afterwards, these discussions are acted out in role- playing sessions, later to be performed for the children's parents in the form of a drama. Each session ends with a football game. He adds that many former child sol- diers appear wise beyond their years. 'We are seeing children under the age of 15 questioning the justice of a system in which, while others have big cars and villas, their parents do not receive A Life Without Childhood wages for up to ten months' he says. »We are also seeing more and more for- mer child soldiers engaging themselves Football and play are both important tools used in the rehabilitation of in the local community.«

Liberia's child soldiers Let the children play Under the motto 'Let the Children Play' By Kirsten Harkjær Larsen Don Bosco Homes is moving into the camps housing homeless soldiers – ppearing at the Play the game filmed today. War has again flared up in both adults and children. Most recently with a moving tale of hope from the West African state – and child soldi- the organisation started a campaign ALiberia, Joe Hena plays two vi- ers remain an integral part of the ranks against the recruitment of child soldiers deo clips to the assembled audience. It is estimated that between 14,000 in the current conflict. The campaign, They are vastly different, but both fea- and 20,000 child soldiers bore arms for which uses football as a starting point, ture a group of children wearing distin- the National Patriotic Front of Liberia is active at five different locations in ctive yellow T-shirts. The first is a clip during the civil war of 1990-1997. The the capital city, Monrovia. In a parade from a lively local football game betw- fact that Liberia has signed the UN Countless through the city before the final of a een two junior teams, played in front of Charter on Children's Rights, which numbers of recent football tournament organised a sizable crowd of spectators. The se- forbids soldiers under the age of 18, children soldi- by Don Bosco Homes, the charity cond features the so-called Jungle Lions seemingly had little effect. ers need sport appealed to the government to recog- – child soldiers – standing with hand- As a visiting coordinator for the nise the UN Convention on Children's and other painted letters on their breasts. Their Catholic children's charity Don Bosco Rights. Joe Hena used Play the game to forms of reha- body language is aggressive, almost Homes, Joe Hena cannot prevent bring this appeal to a broader audience. threatening. They are in the 12-14-age children and former child soldiers re- bilitation, Joe Support in the form of money or foot- range, and all are armed. Although ta- enlisting in the army. However, his Hena told balls, he says, will be received with ken from Liberia's last civil war, this se- work with these young people is an im- thanks by Don Bosco Homes. cond clip could just as well have been portant step in the rehabilitation of a ge-

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When Tibet and Greenland were not allowed to raise their natio- nal flags, the organisers simply distributed thousands of paper flags in the audience

Greenland v Tibet – football from the heart

By Karen Balling Radmer

hen a total of 5,000 fans packed into games. FIFA hold something resembling a mo- Copenhagen's Vanløse stadium in nopoly. You cannot play against a FIFA mem- Wthe summer of 2001 to witness a ber nation if you yourself are not a member.« unique event – a football match between the However, FIFA remained unimpressed by Gre- national football teams of Greenland and Tibet enland's lobbying. – they did not jus witness a game. What they Then one day Brinch received a call from saw was the culmination of months of political Michael Nybrandt, the International Coordina- high tension and drama, including a major po- tor for Tibet's Football Association, who sugge-

litical row with China which made headlines sted a match between Tibet and Greenland. The PHOTO: KIM AGERSTEN/POLFOTO across the world idea soon gained momentum, and both foo- After such a long struggle to get the match tball associations agreed to play the game. fect Greenland's chances of being admitted as played, both the Greenlandic and Tibetan Since neither was a member of FIFA, all they a future member. Also involved in the furore teams could celebrate victory on the day. It was needed was a football ground not owned by a was the sports company Hummel, which a dream come true for these small 'nations' to FIFA club. Vanløse Stadium in Copenhagen fit- sponsored the game, and the Greenlandic play an international match. A match that, if it ted the bill, and a date was set. sports organisation Team Greenland. were up to FIFA, would not have been allowed »It was a perfect match between two states However, despite the political turmoil, the to go ahead. that were both famous for their ancient culture, two small football associations held their »Greenland has, for a long time, sought and both had been occupied by colonial po- ground.'The game was shown across the FIFA membership in order to play friendly wers« says Michael Nybrandt. world on CNN' continues Michael Nybrandt. matches with teams like Iceland or the Faroe Is- Then the politicians began to get involved. »Spectators flew the flags of both nations. I lands,« explains Jens Brinch, the General Secre- The Chinese Embassy in Copenhagen did its firmly believe that 60 percent of them had tary of The Sports Confederation of Greenland. best to get the game called off. Greenlandic never attended a football game before.« »However, FIFA will not allow us membership fish exports to China were threatened. Pres- »It was a football game straight from the because, among other things, we cannot meet sure was also applied by FIFA, which sugge- heart – and there were no losers,« adds Jens the required conditions for the transmission of sted that going ahead with the game could af- Brinch.

The Critical Nomad matter, most African countries. 'The first is the lack of job security' he says, 'the second is the Thirty-four-year-old Olukayode Thomas has censure and pressure you are exposed to, and already quit his job as a newspaper reporter the third is money – journalists' wages in Africa in Nigeria three times due to his critical sports are very low. There have been times when I articles not making it into print. He has come have not received wages for months on end.' close to being arrested, has been referred to 'It is easier to remain uncritical,' he conti- as a 'satanic scribe' has thwarted an attempt to nues. 'If, as a sports journalist, you want to re- buy his silence, and has, for the past four port from the World Cup or the Olympics and years, been voted Sports Journalist of the Year your media organisation either cannot or will in his native country. spaper) The Guardian. They also know that I not pay for your trip, you are forced to look to Olukayode Thomas describes himself as a would quit if I wasn't allowed to write what I banks or private businesses for sponsorship.' 'nomad' in the field of critical journalism – and want'.« Despite the problems he faces, he would with good reason. With a dogged will to uncover »During the five years I have been working not trade places with anyone else in his native the stories behind the brief news items, he has, as a sports journalist, I have not been able to country. 'I don't want to be included in a list of since 1996, fought to circulate his critical articles get accreditation to the football World Cup Fi- those people who have accepted money,' he in the Nigerian media. Topics he has covered in- nals,' he continues. 'The Football Association says in his presentation to Play the game. 'If clude corruption in the Nigerian Olympic Com- would rather not see my face. I am refused en- you take this road, you can lay yourself open mittee, doping, and an expose of those who con- try to press conferences – often by my own col- to blackmail'. trol his country's sport from behind the scenes. leagues in the sports world, who condemn me Olukayode Thomas concludes that in his »I am certainly the only critical sports jour- for being too critical'.« opinion, Nigerian sport is not yet ready to deal nalist in Nigeria who is able to write whatever Olukayode Thomas points to three factors with critical journalism, just as Nigerian soci- he likes...' he says, '...as long as I have my cur- that contribute to the difficulties of working as ety is not yet ready to accept mainstream criti- rent editor's backing on (the Nigerian new- a critical journalist in Nigeria – or, for that cal journalism.

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EXTRACT Health must be the priority

crucial role to play in the health of a vernments increases the dependence of In developing countries, nation's citizens. these nations on international aid programs. sport is a necessary Furthermore, it has been argued that a Sport and physical activity programs sho- high health standard translates into higher uld not replace existing aid infrastructure. domestic productivity and greater national However, sport and physical education component of an overall Sport and phy- prosperity and as such, the long-term he- is being more widely recognised as legiti- sical education aid programme, says the alth effects of sports and physical activity mate tool for social development and a is a very econo- Australian development have other far-reaching benefits towards necessary component of an overall aid the development of a nation other than the program aimed at alleviating poverty and mic health stra- worker William Glenwright immediate health benefits. developing nationhood. tegy, William The success of sports development pro- Glenwright told Sport and a nation's economy grams is reliant on a government's re- By William Glenwright Studies undertaken at the international level cognition of the role of sport and physical indicate that every $1million spent on education – and a commitment in terms of sport and physical activity, generates a sa- policy to that effect. all the functions of sport and physi- ving of $3.2million in national medical The most successful sport development Of cal education in developing nati- costs [...] programs will be those that are delivered ons, that of the promotion and mainten- Sport and physical activity will always in states with sound sport and physical ance of health must be the priority. The im- be debatable components of a nation's fe- education policies. provement of the health of a nation is the deral budget. A government's commitment most significant contribution that sport can to sport will often be weighted against ot- William Glenwright is a development make. More importantly however, is that her government objectives such as health co-ordinator for the Australian Sports sport and physical education is perhaps and education. Commission and has done field work in the most economical health strategy that a Particularly in developing nations, the East Timor. See his whole contribution nation can undertake. economic pressures faced by federal go- at www.play-the-game.org The World Health Organisation has PHOTO: HENNER FRANKENFELD identified the following facts: k Regular Physical Activity (PA) reduces the risk of dying from Heart Disease (1/3 of global deaths); k Physical Activity reduces the risk of devel- oping heart disease, type II diabetes (90% of world diabetes cases), colon cancer. Evi- dence suggests also that Physical Activity may probably provide protection against breast cancer; k Physical Activity helps control weight and prevent /reduce hypertension (affecting 20% of the adult world population). Physical Activity helps to reduce osteoporosis; k Physical Activity reduces stress, anxiety and feelings of depression; k Physical Activity enhances functional capa city and independent living in older persons; k Physical Activity and 'Sport for All' pro- mote social interaction and contributes to social integration. Such statistics are of particular relevance to the nations of the Pacific Islands and East Timor. Nauru, located in the northern Pacific Ocean and one of the world's smallest nations has one of the world's highest per- capita rates of diabetes. In 1998 East Timor had a life expe- ctancy of just 55 years. Sport and Physi- cal education programs therefore have a

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“ It was very stimulating to hear the many great speakers, and to be able to continually visit with them during breaks and meals.

The DGI is a great place to host the conference, and Copenhagen is a beautiful city ” Gary Wicks, Associate Professor, USA

EXTRACT

Sport and the Media: A force for the good?

Sport and media companies face higher expectations for ethical and responsible practices as an influential part of the global community. If they assume their social responsibility, they can maintain standards and be a force for good development, argues Robert Davies, Chief Executive of the International Business Leaders Forum

By Robert Davies other human activity including religion. To- on the 16 to 25 age group – which is more By and large gether with related services it is the largest than the GDP of many countries. media compa- port and the Media must surely employer. It attracts the largest audiences of This doesn't count in media revenues nies as busi- be the most potent combination any activity on the planet. It consistently fills and sponsorship, travel and tourism, infra- nesses are S of forces amongst the key actors more pages in more newspapers, uniquely structure, associated food and beverages, cautious, show in the globalisation game. transcending geography, politics, class, gambling, corporate entertaining, and mil- They have a unique synergy – 'sport as race, sex, culture and religion. lions from sports club and entrance fees. risk adverse the premier global media content', and It has many of the best-known and most European soccer leagues alone are said to behaviour and 'media as the premier partner for sport and potent global brands in sporting goods, be a $10 billion market. have a herd sports industries'. sports teams and associated sponsors. It is Like few other industries, it has from the instinct, says A result of this alliance applied to the populated by the best known celebrity per- start exploited the potential of globalisa- Robert Davies worlds most attractive activity is immense sonalities. tion, and has been at the forefront of inter- audiences, immense economic influence It is the subject of the worlds' highest va- nationalisation for almost a century. and power, and immense reach into coun- lue TV and communications deals, and the And yet, uniquely, and with the excep- tries and communities. highest priced advertising slots – the TV tion of activist campaigns against some There is in my view too little recognition rights to the last Soccer World Cup and branded goods, it has escaped the storm of how the 'business of sport' at all levels Olympic Games combined were reported of public protest now associated with al- can be a positive force for good health, as being over $2.3 billion (that's 40 cents most all other aspects of globalisation. peace, development and ethics in a world for everyone on the planet). that is hungry for values. It can also be a trigger for urban devel- Sport's great potential Even those in the sports industries may opment through regeneration lead by Sport also has a major role to play in the not yet, in my view, have come to terms sports developments as we have seen in world due to critical problems of health with the influence they now have, and can many inner city areas. and increasing rates of non-communi- have, due to the emergence of globalisa- cable disease linked to diet and lack of tion and the many threats and challenges Retail: 600 billion US-dollars physical activity which according to the which now arise. Sport business is also very big. The sporting WHO is fast becoming the main health Sport plays a unique part in our lives. Af- goods industries alone are estimated to have danger worldwide. ter work itself it is the largest focus of mass ci- an annual retail market possibly of over It is not surprising that sport, in spite of vil participation. It has more voluntary com- $600 billion, linked to a global network of much publicised soccer hooliganism, has munity level leaders and teachers than any small and big businesses, focused primarily been a medium for vital and pioneering õ...

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Sport and the Media: A force for the good?...

õ... peaceful contact between East and side the advert may carry innuendo, half- West, Hindu and Muslim, across the religi- truth and misrepresentation defended as ous divides in Northern Ireland or heral- editorial freedom. ding in ping-pong matches the opening of China in the late 1960's. Business with a herd instinct It has suspended conflict in the no- Some journalists attempting to cover broa- mans-land between the First World War der issues of sport, including doping and trenches, refugee camps in the Balkans, bribery scandals, economic interests and between Capitalism and Communism du- corruption in the sports world have faced ri- ring the Cold War, between the North and dicule, intimidation, censorship and dismis- South Koreas. sal before their stories proved sound. Sport can underpin and celebrate diver- The media has played key roles in ex- sity. A common language we have with the posing bad ethical practice, scandals, people of Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Iraq vested interests and double standards is the language of soccer. whether in business or in personalities. Sport must be a critical potential com- But the media often faces criticisms of ponent of development in a world where putting events, personalities, entertainment, some three billion people live on less than gossip and sensationalism – I guess what $2 a day, or amongst the unemployed on makes 'the news' – ahead of the need to ex- our own door-steps. plain context, take a more analytical view and look at issues in the longer-term way. Trust is important Then there is the problem of patronage Sport and its values of 'fitness, fair play and and marketing deals for exclusive rights, participation' has a unique part to play in a often overpriced as we have recently seen troubled world. in the cases of collapsed European media The shocking events of doping scand- organizations, to compliant bidders in a als, Olympic bribery and corruption, of the sellers market. past year since the 11th September, and The media as commercial organizati- also the crisis of confidence caused by cor- ons, and organizations prosper on access Put simply, Corporate Social Responsi- porate governance scandals, have all bro- to critical events and stars – whether valu- bility is the framework for the role of busi- ught home to us all how fragile, small and able World Cup rights, access to lucrative ness in society – it is the set of standards of The media as vulnerable our inter-connected world is Chinese markets, access to exclusive Presi- behaviour to which a company subscribes commercial and how important trust is. dential and Prime Ministerial press brie- in order to make its impact on society po- Also how these far off global issues are fings or ringside seats in the amphitheatres sitive and productive. organizations now on our doorstep, and how according of War. The production and selling of goods prosper on to reliable attitude surveys our stakehol- They also recognize where their intere- and services, business ethics, environmen- access to criti- ders – consumers, investors, employees, sts lie in avoiding 'provocative action' that tal practices, recruitment and employment cal events and regulators, media and the public in gene- may make them vulnerable to being exclu- conditions, approach to human rights and stars – and ral – are wanting values based leadership. ded from access to a deal or privileged bri- investment in the community are examples may avoid The media has a uniquely important efing opportunity, even if temporarily, and of such impact. 'provocative part to play in functioning democracy and thus loose competitive advantage to other open market economies as a vital check media companies. An impact of their own action' in and balance on abuse of political and By and large media companies as bus- Globally the media is dominated by some order not to economic power. inesses are cautious, show risk adverse be- 10 companies and 50 sub-regional com- be excluded Journalists themselves, who protect haviour and have a herd instinct. panies. The case for corporate responsibi- their editorial freedom fiercely, at least in Media and communications companies lity in the media rests on the facts that: many countries, are rightly proud and pro- are part of the mainstream international k Most media companies are themselves tective of their professional ethics. But then commercial business community. This past commercial enterprises and cannot ex- it gets complicated. decade has seen the issues of corporate empt themselves from these pressures and The survey conducted by Mandag Mor- social responsibility move increasingly ra- expectations gen (see pp. 8-10) confirms a trend of su- pidly from the fringe of management pra- k The media who often report on bad bus- perficial content in sports coverage focus- ctice of a few pioneers, some of them in iness practices and harmful impacts of ing on personalities, events and gossip your industries, to a major issue for the Bo- companies should themselves ensure their rather than much if any serious content, ardroom agenda. practices are sound – the fact that they and almost nothing on the political, eco- In the process it has attracted increasing communicate about others doesn't exempt nomic and social aspects of sport. attention and widespread public interest, them from communicating about their so- It seems to many extraordinary that and is now seen by many institutions, from cial impacts commercial advertisers are subjected to the United Nations, World Bank, European k It is necessary as the survey findings sug- more rigorous standards of decency and Union, and OECD down, as a key part of gest to establish and maintain trust to the honesty in most countries, and subject to the solution to pressing governance and benefit of their audiences, employees, ad- greater scrutiny, yet the tabloid text along- development challenges. vertisers

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raises new challenges about editorial free- oting resolutions at company AGMs on the dom and responsibility. It has become one so called 'China Business Principles'. of the major drivers in the pressure for so- Understandably, high profile global cial responsibility in business and in sport sporting events are seen as a frontier for and other areas of life. raising issues of injustice and social re- It is this new dimension in politics and sponsibility – they always have been. mass communication, particularly among The death of a woman campaigning for the young, which will start to dictate new womens' right to vote in England, by terms for the engagement of major sports throwing herself under a racehorse, is a sponsors in controversial areas – such as poignant reminder of the use of sport as a countries with questionable human rights medium for protest. records, not least China in the run up to But the power of the Internet and the the 2008 Beijing Olympics. text message makes it all the easier to mo- And as 2008 nears all those involved, bilise campaigns and public opinion these not least the sporting goods industry and days. It is important the media understand major Olympic sponsors will find that the the issues at stake. pressures to address key areas of social The alliance of sport and media is an am- sustainability will follow – such as human azing force for civic participation, entertain- rights in the areas of labour standards and ment, excitement, global harmony and de- broader issues of religious freedom am- velopment; for celebrating human achieve- ongst Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, Tibetans ment, diversity and excellence at its best. and other groups. But globalisation has changed the na- This is not meant as a criticism, but is an ture of power and responsibility and the observation on an inescapable issue which media and journalists are on the front line. will surely engage us all in a dialogue – a US Congressional Committee, lobby gro- Robert Davies is the Chief Executive of ups and activist campaigns in Europe and The Prince of Wales International PHOTO: POLFOTO America are already turning their attention Business Leaders Forum – www.iblf.org kThe particular power of the media to this, including a US shareholder activist Read his whole paper at places a higher onus on being legal, de- campaign gathering momentum in prom- www.play-the-game.org cent and honest which are essential tenets for media companies kIn some cases the cross ownership and media concentration creates near mo- nopolies that must be addressed by the en- couragement of pluralism for public good 7 ways to be responsible kFinally, on an aspirational basis, How could the media be a force for good in sports development, and what would a socially responsible media many issues troubling the world can be company look like? Here are eight suggestions from Robert Davies: improved with the positive support of the media – whether initiatives to secure press 1. Media companies themselves could adopt corporate social responsibility charters – based for example on the 'CEO freedom, exposure of censorship, training Charter for Global Corporate Citizenship' which the IBLF pro-duced with the World Economic Forum in January 2002. in responsible journalism in newly demo- They should adopt the UN Global Compact. cratizing states and the learning power of 2. Media companies could undertake social reporting which is what the FTSE4Good and Dow Jones Sustainability media. indexes suggest is good practice in transparency – Bertelsmann and Axel Springer Verlag have been rated as leaders in self-reporting, and Pear-son Group and AOL Time Warner as rising. A countervailing source of 3. Conflicts of interest where journalistic standards may be surrendered for access to countries, events and power personalities and influence of vested interests must be kept in check and pressures resisted and honestly debated. One of the exciting developments is the Especially where countries can play one me-dia company off against an-other. nature of change of the electronic media and ICT industries over the past few years 4. The media company must strive for accuracy and fairness and to balance news with analysis, promote access and and the undreamed of opportunities for pluralism and ensure adequate redress for justified complaints. They should not shy from inves-tigating and exposing corruption. affordable access to low cost technolo- gies and the Internet that has given most 5. The media company will play its part in promoting access to wider and minor-ity issues and opinions, and also play ordinary citizens opportunities for new a role particularly in developing markets and countries, in helping train journalists, advise them on tackling matters of forms of media. It has also put power di- personal safety, and develop media skills and emerging indus-tries. gital technologies into the hands of acti- 6. Similarly responsible media companies will engage in communities, and also reflect in employment and engagement vist groups who have themselves become the diversity of the communities they cover. part of the check and balance originally reserved for the media. 7. In the massive resources devoted to sports coverage there is a strong case for ensuring that the many development aspects of sport that exist get some attention and promotion, and that the ethics of sport are strengthened. This provides a countervailing source of influence to the traditional media and

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Marvellous… I came away loaded with notes, Join the SIU “ papers, new friends and warm memories The Sports Intelligence Unit, SIU, is a Janet Heinonen, Editor, Keeping Track Newsletter,” USA voluntary, independent network for individual sports journalists and sports researchers. SIU regards the free flow of information and an open public debate as essential for democratic development. SIU sees neither sport nor journalism as Brief facts about Play the game standardizable commodities accessible to the highest bidders on the market. On the contrary, sport and journalism 219 media professionals and sports researchers from 53 countries should stay easily accessible goods, participated at the conference held in at the sports and conference being manifold expressions of the cultu- ral richness of mankind. centre DGI-byen in the heart of Copenhagen. 54 participants The purposes of SIU are: from less privileged countries could take part thanks to travel

k to defend freedom of expression in subsidies generously granted by the donors (see below) sports – at all levels, under all circum- stances and in any place of the world Goals Finances k to promote a free flow of information The goals of Play the game are: The total costs of the conference and stimulate public debate on the were close to 2,800,000 Danish Kroner – almost economics, politics and culture of sports k to raise awareness of sport's role in 400.000 Euro. k to further international contacts and local, national and global development exchange between journalists and k to support democracy, transparency and cul- The participants contributed with 408,000 DKK researchers working on the above tural variety in sport and media world-wide in conference fee's. mentioned matters kto provide media professionals with Danish donors financed the rest like this: k to raise the level of sports journalism inspiration and research tools for reporting on through internet and printed key topics including the cultural, political, so- Danish Gymnastics and Sports publications, seminars, meetings etc. cial and economic aspects of sport Associations: 1,657,000 DKK. k SIU does not forward information on k to strengthen cross-border and cross-sector The Ministry of Culture: 500,000 DKK. sports results, international champion- contacts between the participants to help them Danish Center for Culture and ships or other highly advertised sports to meet the challenges of a globalised sports Development (DCCD): 150,000 DKK. events. Members. Membership is open and media world Danida/The Ministry of Foreign for any individual media professional or Affairs: 100,000 DKK. scientific researcher interested in the hi- Organisers Danish Sports Journalists' Association: 25,000 story, sociology, medicine, psychology, The International Federation of Journalists DKK. economy, politics, culture or other vital promotes action to defend press freedom and so- aspect of sports. Membership is free of cial justice, representing more than 450,000 IFJ, ISCA and SIU want to thank charge. members in more than 100 countries. IFJ is oppo- all these donors whose contributions sed to discrimination of all kinds and believes in ensured the realisation of Play the game. Members must freedom of political and cultural expression. k accept giving the necessary data for See www.ifj.org A new edition in 2005 a public membership list. As this magazine goes to print, the board of Da- k be prepared to support and advise International Sport and Culture Association, nish Gymnastics and Sports Associations has each others to the widest possible extent, with 120 member organisations from five con- committed itself to donate 1,100,000 DKK for when help for national or international tinents, promotes understanding across bor- another conference in the 1st half of 2005, provi- research is required. ders and views sport as a bearer of local, regio- ded that more organisations and institutions will k do their best to provide the SIU-editors nal and national cultural identity. put themselves behind Play the game with poli- regularly with brief summaries of important See www.isca-web.org tical, moral and financial support. national or international news, articles, TV and radio programmes, sports events The Sports Intelligence Unit (SIU) relevant to SIU-purpose etc. see box at the left and www.play-the-game.org

You can see the present members of SIU at www.play-tthe-ggame.org and download the registrationform here. Contact us: Play the game If your organisation wants to contribute Att. Jens Sejer Andersen c/o DGI to or be a partner of "Play the game", Vingsted Skovvej 1 please contact us as follows: DK-7100 Vejle Denmark Tel. + 45 79 40 40 40 [email protected] Play the game 2002 42 Play-the-game-Magazine-2002.qxd 11-06-2003 11:47 Side 43

nings who has done his share of unco- vering the sporting world's less-than- salubrious stories. »After all my work, where I often felt unwanted, it's very nice to feel wanted,« Laura Robinson said. ´Crossing the Line´ came out in Ca- nada in 1998, two years after Laura Ro- binson had made a TV documentary de- tailing a culture of rape in the nation's national sport. The revelations came as a shock »Boys are viewed as little gods,« she says. »People just can't understand that they are capable of carrying out this type of horrific attack. Therefore most of the focus has been on paedophilia in the sport, not on the fact that the boys them- selves committed group rape.« »Once in a while cases came up in- volving attacks on boys« she continues, »but I was the only one who focused on the possibility that these young boys themselves would commit attacks. Laura Robinson Many men and boys often deal with hu- got the first Play miliation by subjecting another person the game Award: to the same humiliation. I interviewed a A painting and a large number of girls, and they spoke of poem by Torben some terrifying experiences.« In Canada, women's ice hockey has Ulrich, Danish Cracks in the ice grown explosively in recent years. This, artist and tennis Laura Robinson believes, could be as a player. Also method of altering the relationship betw- Robinson was Canadian journalist Laura Robinson was awarded the een the sexes. 'Ice hockey is essentially invited to the Play the Game Award for her revelations on sexual part of a man's world' she says. next edition of »With women standing on the sideli- Play the game abuse in ice hockey nes, the relationship between the sexes is not equal. It only becomes more equal if women are themselves on the ice, By Jonna Toft playing hockey.« Since Laura Robinson's revelations were made public, Canadian's sports documented on pp. 18-20 in this and Sexual Assault in Canada's Natio- authorities have introduced a wide-ran- As magazine, Canada's national nal Sport". ging programme designed to combat pride, the ice hockey, has concealed a For that achievement she received sexual harassment and abuse. However, culture of rape amongst its junior ath- the Play the Game Award. she believes that in all probability, si- letes. Trainers and older players »The quality of your investigation and milar problems exist in other sports and abused younger players in crude initi- its effect has made a deep impression on in other countries. ation rituals. us, as has your courage' said English re- »The danger is greatest when the These younger players then themsel- porter Andrew Jennings when presen- sport which means most for the nation ves took the role of abusers, participa- ting the award. 'You did what was neces- puts emphasis on aggression, violence ting in the group rape of young girls. sary even though you were blacklisted: and power,« she adds. »I know that US The article's author, Canadian jour- you found the conclusive evidence and baseball has major problems – and here nalist Laura Robinson, worked deep arranged for your work to be made at the conference people from many dif- within her country's ice hockey circles available to the public,« he said. ferent countries have approached me to during the six years it took her to write For Robinson, it was a special say 'the same thing happened in my the book "Crossing the Line: Violence honour to receive the prize from Jen- home country'.«

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Contents 3 DANGEROUS LIAISONS 26 UNEASY LEGACY When professional sport The doping culture didn't follow The links between sport and organised meets organised crime Eastern Germany nto the grave crime. The mismanagement in international soccer. The struggle for human rights in 4-5 DIALOGUE WITH CHINA 27 CONFUSING RULES and around sports. The proliferation of The organisers of Beijing 2008 faced Athletes have been trapped in drugs among amateurs and children. tough questions about human rights conflicting doping regulations The widespread sexual harassment of sports women. The exaggerated nationalism… 6-7 FIFA UNDER FIRE 28 BACK TO BASIS One football leader stood The Danish Minister of Many homeless questions in the world of up against critics from Culture urged sport to stick sports found a few days' shelter when 220 investigative journalists to old values journalists and researchers from 54 countries met at the third international media conference 8-10 SCRUTINISING SPORTS MEDIA 28 MOVE OR DIE "Play the game" in Copenhagen, November They missing the scoop of the A sedentary lifestyle is more 2002. decade, a Scandinavian survey dangerous than smoking In this magazine, we offer a journalistic concludes impression of the more than 60 lectures 29 PASSPORT PROTECTION and debates on issues that decide the 11 FESTIVAL JOURNALISM Swedes use blood passport to future of sport. Sport is also relevant when no protect athletes and fair play medals are at stake 30-31 DUAL DILEMMA 12 FAIR GAME FOR NATIONALISM Can commercial interests When Swedes lose, Norwegians combine with voluntary work? celebrate, says researcher 32 ETHICS, PLEASE 13 TOY FOR POLITICIANS The danger to sports democracy Politicians round the world benefit may come from sport itself from sporting success 33 450 KMS ON BARE FEET 14-15 TALENT OR SEX APPEAL Tahahumara Indians are the most Women are defining new role enduring runners in the world models for sports heroines 34-35 ANTI-HEROES 16-17 THE FEMALE BURDEN Sexual Eddy the Eagle and Grandma harassment is widespread, but politi- Luge fill out important roles cal influence still scarce for sports women 36 DEPRIVED OF CHILDHOOD Children soldiers are rehabilitated 18-20 ON THIN ICE with ball games The sexual abuse revelations that shocked Canada's sacred ice hockey 37 DAVID & DAVID V GOLIATH world Greenland and Tibet fought hard for permission to play 21 PREVENTING SUICIDE Sport seem to encourage 38 SPORT AND DEVELOPMENT young Aborigines Sport is a cheap way to improve health and quality of life 22 DRUG DEALING ON THE RISE The illegal drug trade is growing and 39-41 A FORCE FOR THE GOOD causes daily tragedies Sport and media should use their clout to improve society 24 DOPING FIGHT UNDER DEBATE WADA has made progress, but 42 FACT SHEET will it get sufficient support Play the game in brief 25 DOCTORS, DOPERS 43 PLAY THE GAME AWARD While preparing a 2005 edition Doctors still play a dubious role Canadian Laura Robinson awarded of Play the game, we invite you to in doping distribution for courageous journalism visit our knowledge bank at www.play-the-game.org

where you can also subscribe to Play the game was very successful, from an organisational our free conference newsletter. We point“ of view and as an intellectual source to understanding invite you to join the international sports debate – and Play the game. the crisis signs in the sports life. It was no less than a masterpiece ” Hans B. Skaset, Professor, former president of the Norwegian Sports Confederation