In this paper, professor Barrie Houlihan raises a number of fundamental questions about the application of stakeholder theory in the world of international sports organisations. Can stakeholders be properly defined, and are they necessarily supporters of good governance?

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is under pressure from both the IOC, the Indian government and Indian athletes after the association held their presidential elections after several warnings from the IOC who ultimately handed out a suspension the day before election day.

In this comment, Andreas Selliaas discusses the Olympic badminton ‘scandal’ and questions whether the tactics of the badminton players are so different than swimmers and 100m runners saving their strengths for the finals.

In an new critical report, a group of Olympians, academics, athletes, journalists and students lead by human rights lawyer and former Olympic swimmer Nikki Dryden and investigative journalist Andrew Jennings put focus on how well the individual members of the International Olympic Committee live up to the Olympic ideals. In this comment, Dryden and Jennings explain their motivation behind the project and present what they call ‘the Real IOC’.

Another professional skier died this month, and little is being done to make the sport safer. Canadian author and journalist, Laura Robinson, comments on sports officials' tendencies to put the fight for new viewers by making the sports more dangerous and exciting above the safety of the athletes.

Comment: Will 2012 be our year, asks the Olympic swimmer and human rights attorney Nikki Dryden on behalf of the stakeholders in swimming who are calling for more transparency, accountability and democracy in the top of the international swimming federation (FINA).

Comment: Ice hockey and football have much to answer for, writes Canadian journalist Laura Robinson in her comment piece on new revelations of hazing and sexual abuse in North American sport. Under the glittering surface a depraved subculture is still not being addressed properly.