Play the Game Award

The Play the Game Award is awarded by Play the Game, an initiative run by the Danish Institute for Sports Studies (Idan).

The Play the Game Award pays tribute to an individual or a group of persons who in their professional careers or as volunteers in sport have made an outstanding effort to strengthen the basic ethical values of sport.

The Play the Game Award is presented during the Play the Game conference by the Danish Institute for Sports Studies chairman of the board or his/her representative from the board.

The award winner is chosen during the conference after nominations from the administration by an intern committee consisting of:

  • Chairman of the board, Danish Institute for Sports Studies
  • A representative appointed by the board
  • Director, Danish Institute for Sports Studies
  • International director, Play the Game
  • The previous award winner

The award consists of a piece of art and a speaker’s invitation including free travel, accommodation and board for the next Play the Game conference.


Previous winners of the Play the Game Award:

2019: Nancy Hogshead-Makar for being a tireless advocate for young female athletes and her efforts in trying to change the landscape for women in sport and their right to have their voices heard.
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2017: Yulia and Vitaly Stepanov as well as Hajo Seppelt for their uncovering of the unprecedented doping conspiracy among Russian and international sports leaders.
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2015: Bob Munro (Canada) and Mathare Youth Sports Association for their efforts to create sustainable social progress and their courageous battle against corruption in sport.
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2013: Richard W. Pound, Canadian IOC member and former WADA president, received the Play the Game Award 2013 for his uncompromising efforts in the fight for a cleaner and more democratic sports movement.
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2011: Andrew Jennings (UK) and Jens Weinreich (Germany) for their tireless work documenting and bringing the enormous levels of mismanagement and corruption in the world's leading sports organisations into public view.
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2009: Declan Hill, Canadian PhD and author, for his groundbreaking research and documentation of the realities of match fixing.
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2007: Sandro Donati, Italy, for his courage and determination in revealing cases of doping and corruption in Italian and international sport and for his tenacity in researching the links between doping and international organised crime.
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2005: Mario Goijman, Argentina, for his courage and commitment in bringing to light the theft and corruption that has taken place in the International Volleyball Federation during the reign of FIVB-president Ruben Acosta.
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2002: Laura Robinson, Canadian journalist and author, for her courageous uncovering of systematic sexual abuse in Canadian junior hockey.
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