Comment: In this second contribution to Play the Game’s exclusive comment series on corruption in sport leading up to the Play the Game 2011 conference, Thomas Bach, Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), highlights the need to protect sport, which integrity, credibility and reputation are threatened by doping, corruption and manipulation of competitions.

In the run up to Play the Game 2011 taking place in Cologne early October, playthegame.org launches a series of comments on corruption and good governance in sport with exclusive contributions from high profile sport leaders and other people with insight or interest in sport governance.

Comment: In this first entry in a comment series Sylvia Schenk, Senior Advisor on sport in Transparency International, opens the sport governance debate arguing that corruption, the lack of transparency and other governance problems is an urgent challenge.

With a record number of more than 150 speakers, Play the Game 2011 is heading for its biggest and most wide-ranging conference since its start 14 years ago.

In less than two months, the seventh edition of the world communications conference Play the Game 2011 starts and will present its most extensive programme yet. Benefit from the reduced fee by signing up before September 1.

The fight against corruption, match fixing and abuse of power in international sport is increasingly on the international political agenda and top politicians will continue the debate at Play the Game 2011.

The preliminary programme for Play the Game 2011 presents more than 100 speakers who will debate how to bring change to the heart of sport

For the third consecutive conference, the journalist unions of Denmark and Norway have made a considerable contribution to Play the Game’s travel grant programme allowing sports journalists from less privileged countries to participate in the Play the Game conference.