With 330 participants and 140 speakers, Play the Game 2011 has opened in Cologne. It is the largest conference since Play the Game started focusing on sport's most urgent challenges 14 years ago.

Are you unable to attend Play the Game? Instead you can watch presentations from some of the many interesting speakers and follow the key debates through live streaming from the conference or video on demand.

Senior FIFA Vice President Julio Grondona's bid for a ninth term as Argentina Football Association president is being challenged by Fernando Raffaini, head of the football club Velez Sarsfield.

That FIFA has governance problems is now generally recognized, but what are the prospects for reforms, asks Roger Pielke in this analysis based on the paper 'How Can FIFA be Held Accountable?', which will be presented at Play the Game 2011 in Cologne in October.

Comment: Europe needs stronger governance within the sports themselves so that it becomes impossible for players, presidents, officials or anyone else to affect the outcomes of sporting contests, argues Khalid Ali, Secretary General at the European Sports Security Association, in his contribution to Play the Game’s comment series on corruption in sport.

Comment: Sport is huge business and the influence of the underworld is getting greater by the year. The threat is so acute that it needs to be addressed head on, argues David Howman, Director General of WADA, in the fifth contribution to Play the Game’s comment series on corruption in sport.

With less than two weeks to go, it is time to register for a unique occasion to network directly with sports political heavyweights, leading experts and top media professionals in international sport.

Comment: It would be disastrous if politicians took over the governing of sport. To avoid such a worst case scenario, it is essential that sport federations at all levels work a lot more with good governance, argues Niels Nygaard, President of the Danish NOC and Sports Confederation in this fourth contribution to Play the Game’s comment series on corruption and good governance in sport.