Qatar will have to face the critique of the working conditions under which many foreigners work in the country. This could bring out discussions about the very nature of Qatari politics and society, James M. Dorsey reports.

Miles of chain link fences, Level 1 event eligible for assistance from the Department of Homeland Security and federal agencies, metal detectors, x-ray machines, radiation detectors, no-fly zones, Special Forces, air defence missiles, snipers, equipment to detect radioactive, biological, chemical and nuclear weapons and field hospital to take care of the potential victims of a terrorist attack.

AIPS Football Commission Chairman Keir Radnedge comments on the need for sport and major events to treat the people as partners rather than paving stones

Comment: While the public demand for better governance in sport rings louder than ever, sports leaders are confronted with troubles inherited from the past

Conflicting views on Brazil’s staging of the 2014 World Cup were presented by panellists from both ends of the critical spectrum in a plenary session entitled Mega-events and democracy: The Brazilian challenge on the closing day of Play the Game.

Do sport mega-events hold the potential to increase mass participation in sport? Many politicians trying to gain acceptance for a bid to host a major sport event would say yes. But according to two speakers at Play the Game 2013, this theory of a trickle-down effect is very dubious.

With just 100 days to go to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Play the Game asked whether security concerns and the desire for positive coverage could stifle press freedom.

While the financial cost of hosting a sporting mega-event runs into billions of dollars, a legal price must also be paid. This, Play the Game was told, includes the creation of special tax loopholes, the curtailment of consumer rights and the relaxation of immigration rules.