When political leaders signed Donald Trump's Board Of Peace, the ceremony revealed fundamental flaws in sports governance. The systems designed to keep sport politically neutral have been rendered meaningless by those meant to uphold them, experts argue.
www.playthegame.org/news/a-very-...
It is worth remembering that for many years, Iranian athletes have faced imprisonment, exile, and execution for expressing dissent.
I was reminded of this again by Zohreh Abdollahkhani at our Play the Game conferences in 2024 and 2025👉 www.playthegame.org/news/meet-th...
Yes, sports bans work, and Russia's exclusion - now being reconsidered by the IOC and Gianni Infantino's Fifa - is a good example of what they can achieve. A very powerful piece by @staniselsborg.bsky.social for @playthegame-org.bsky.social.
www.playthegame.org/news/excludi...
As international sports bodies move to reintegrate Russia, they once again stress the “neutrality” of sport.
@staniselsborg.bsky.social argues that this language obscures what has really been achieved by excluding Russia from the international sport’s scene 👇
www.playthegame.org/news/excludi...
www.playthegame.org/news/excluding-russia-has-successfully-disrupted-putin-s-strategy-in-sport/
Russia is back and so is the language of neutrality in sport
Infantino says Russia’s exclusion “achieved nothing”. I argue the opposite: it disrupted a political use of sport that mattered deeply to the Kremlin.
Full comment 👇
Om hvad helt præcist? 😊
The Olympics as political neutral?
The political power of the Olympic opening ceremony: Lessons from #Beijing2008 and #Sochi2014
www.playthegame.org/news/the-pol...
#CAS denied application by Heraskevych
The Sole Arbitrator found
the limitations reasonable and proportionate, given athletes’ other opportunities to raise awareness (mixed zones, press conferences, social networks, and in his case wearing the helmet during four training runs).
“Not all bridges built for peace”
In 2024, 🇺🇦 athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych made a powerful speech at our @playthegame-org.bsky.social conference.
Now, Heraskevych is barred from competing with a helmet honouring 🇺🇦 athletes who lost their lives in Russia’s war.
Watch👉 vimeo.com/962035621?sh...
The IOC insists that politics must be kept out of the Olympics to protect the Games’ neutrality. However, it is a paradox that IOC’s characterisation of politicisation only seems to apply to athletes and not the host nations. 3/3
www.bbc.com/sport/articl...
The response from IOC: No, according to Heraskevych.
The reason, presumably: Rule 50.
This is exactly the paradox I analysed in my @playthegame_org article “A fist of freedom or a fist of iron? Rule 50 and the Olympic paradox.” 2/3👇
www.playthegame.org/news/a-fist-...
A helmet too political for the Olympics?
🇺🇦Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych wanted to compete wearing a helmet honouring Ukrainian athletes who have died as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
🧵Thread, 1/3
I spoke with Yookun Seo from The Chosun about the evolving landscape of Saudi Arabia’s global sports spending.
In English👉 www.chosun.com/english/mark...
Jeg håber nogen hos #dkmedier griber @staniselsborg.bsky.social pointe med at DBU også havde sagt de ikke ville spille mod Belarus. Indtil de gjorde det alligevel
Og jeg afslører måske mine tanker om DBU, men ord betyder noget, så når direktøren vælger at omtale det som "konflikten i Ukraine"....
"How can FIFA continue to operate without meaningful political or legal oversight? Why do authorities cling to the myth that sport and politics can be separated? And why does the responsibility to speak out fall on athletes and fans when key decisions were taken much earlier, behind closed doors?"
Forrige uke ble jeg konkaktet av flere medier der jeg fikk spørsmål om jeg var for eller i mot boikott. Da jeg heller ville prate om hva som er problematisk med VM i USA, ble det stille.
@staniselsborg.bsky.social setter ord på det jeg mener om dette.
idrettspolitikk.no/2026/01/30/m...
When journalists frame sports boycotts as a simple yes/no question, they fail their democratic role.
My comment on the boycott debate and the media’s responsibility is now available in English via @playthegame-org.bsky.social
👉 www.playthegame.org/news/sports-...
Exactly! That's part of the ritual😊
Thank you, and thanks a lot for sharing it!
Thank you, and thanks a lot for sharing it!
Mange tak! Og tak for at dele!
This is v.good. I get the boycott calls, but the discussion cannot stop there.
We also need to know how FIFA will protect fans from ICE, allow peaceful protest, ensure fans can travel safely.
We need to dissect the responsibilities of FAs and sponsors. And work out how to hold people accountable.
bsky.app/profile/stan...
Journalism is failing the World Cup boycott debate.
Once again, media coverage reduces complex sports-political realities to a simple yes-or-no question: boycott or not?
👉 journalisten-dk.translate.goog/journalistik...
Opening a new position for an editor and international relations manager, @playthegame-org.bsky.social aims to strengthen its work to promote democratic values in international sport.
www.playthegame.org/news/play-th...
While headlines focus on the Sabalenka–Kyrgios showmatch, far less attention is paid to where it was staged - and why that matters.
Dubai, the UAE, and the political use of elite sport amid severe human rights atrocities.
www.linkedin.com/posts/stanis...
While headlines focus on the Sabalenka–Kyrgios showmatch, far less attention is paid to where it was staged - and why that matters.
Dubai, the UAE, and the political use of elite sport amid severe human rights atrocities.
www.linkedin.com/posts/stanis...
A recent article reignites the debate about children in elite sport.
Jørn Sønderholm argues for allowing professional contracts at 13.
The Danish Minister of Culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, strongly disagrees.
Full context and sources👉 www.linkedin.com/posts/stanis...
Today, Hassan Moustafa (81) was re-elected as president of the International Handball Federation. I was asked by @Frib3rg from @vgnett to comment on governance and democracy in the IHF. These are the core points from my responses.
👉 www.linkedin.com/posts/stanis...
