Uniting the World? Values in Sport in the 21st Century

Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a great pleasure for me to have been invited to open this conference. In my mind "Play the Game" has within few years developed to its present position as the leading international forum for the exchange of information, contacts and techniques in sport and sports media. I take the opportunity to congratulate the organisers with this remarkable result.

When people meet in the sports field it is based upon a common language, and gives an opportunity to develop your own skills in a challenging interaction with your opponent. Sport is a unique way to develop your physical and cultural identity and to build a bridge between different identities.

In Denmark we have a unique tradition of seeing sport as part of cultural policy. The government in co-operation with the voluntary organisations takes care of development within sport, which in turn is an important element of civil society and of Danish culture in a wider sense of the word.

Considering the challenges faced by sport it is today more necessary than ever to strengthen and develop this tradition and protect the human dimension in sport.

Only through this, we can fight violence, xenophobia, doping and corruption.

Only through this, we can maintain the values upon which sport is based and continue the efforts for the sublime, the unique, and the absorbing insight into the endless number of possibilities of sport.

In sport we experience how space and time dissolve as a result of concentration, force and intensity.

This experience can only be seen in glimpses also as spectators and it is not necessarily tied to victory or record but will often be of course. These are the happy moments, which can open to a new dimension in life, which is worth all the efforts. These are the moments, which create a tremendous insight into the possibilities of sport. These are the moments when we experience release the reward for all the hard work. These are the moments, which are unique to other cultural experiences.

On the other hand, the basis of sport in cultural policy can contribute to maintaining the basic values and qualities of sport. If we cannot be sure that the clear ideals and spotless view of human nature control sport, then it will loose its fascination then we can no longer take it seriously then we risk that sport ends up being non-committal pastime.

The ethical questions in sport must be recognised within the context of a broader cultural view. Ethical questions must not be reduced to single issues, but are connected to a general view of human development and human values.

Doping is the negation of the very essence of sport. The fight against doping is a question of survival to the Olympic movement and international top sport in general.

The use of doping in sport is an indication of an ethical crisis of a more fundamental character a crisis where money and markets overrule human values and ethics.

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-centredness it is of great importance to maintain some basic human values. If the ethics of sport are undermined, the political legitimacy might cease.

As part of the EU Presidency Denmark has mobilised much effort in protecting the fundamental values. Focus has been directed to the fight against doping and recognition of the great values of voluntary sport.

European athletes and sports clubs play an important part in the global field of sports both with regard to numbers and participation in competitions. Co-operation within EU has proved to have great political effectiveness in its efforts to create transparency and independence in the co-operation with international sports organisations on important sports policy questions. Thanks to the work of the EU Member States strong opposition has been mobilised in the fight against doping which also finds it support in the population. A major result of this mobilisation has been the foundation of the World Anti-doping Agency WADA at the end of 1999.

At the moment, there is focus on WADA\'s initiative for a world anti-doping convention. WADA has taken the initiative to create international binding agreements, which forces governments and sports organisations to accept a common understanding of the doping problem and common rules for the fight against doping as a precondition for hosting and participating in international sporting events. The plan is for the agreement to be finalised at WADA\'s global conference here in Copenhagen in March 2003 with the objective of putting it into force before the Olympics in Athens in 2004.

Sport contributes to the identity of citizens and communities and sport incorporates central values to the cultural development of society. We must rebuild the fundamental meaning of sport and sports organisations we must bring sport back to basics.

Thank you for your attention and good luck with this conference. I hope you will get a both stimulating and constructive debate.