Knowledge bank: UN Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Adolf Ogi, speaks at Play the Game's conference about UN and the year 2005, which is the International Year of Sport and Physical Education.

On its first day, the Play the Game communication conference on sport and society received a major boost in the form of a message of support from United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The Olympic movement elects a new leader and Rogge must act if the IOC and the Games are again to be seen to have moral value. Among his priorities must be forcing 20 or 30 members to leave.

In the past few years we have many examples where the ideals of sport are being tarnished in ways that suggests sports men and women and the people who work with are under intolerable pressure to deliver success.