Professor Simon Chadwick, Director of CIBS, is giving a webcast masterclass on the recession's influence on world sport. Watch his masterclass online.

After a highly successful opening round for abstract submissions, the Play the Game 2009 programme organisers have decided to open a new call for papers. Academics, journalists, sports practitioners and other sports stakeholders are encouraged to send presentation proposals to the conference organisers by 31 March 2009, 15:00 CET.

In light of the high quality of abstracts and storylines recieved thus far, Play the Game has decided to extend the submission deadline for presentation submissions for our 2009 conference until 31 March 2009, 15:00 CET.

On Thursday 5 February 2009 journalist and author Dr Declan Hill will explain how match-fixing is threatening to engulf football at the press launch for Play the Game 2009, taking place in London at the Royal Danish Embassy from 14.00 – 16.00. Hill will also speak at a press event in Copenhagen on Wednesday 4 February at 18.00 – 20.00 co-organised by Play the Game and Transparency International Denmark.

With the first invitations just out, 25 speakers have already signed up to speak at Play the Game 2009 in Coventry. The list includes some of the world's leading sports journalists, authors, academics, businessmen and administrators, for instance IOC member and former WADA president Richard W. Pound, WADA Director General David Howman, sports economist Wladimir Andreff and online betting agency Betfair's managing director, Mark Davies.

Play the Game and our conference partners call upon leading stakeholders in sport to contribute with your expertise and experience to this unique and independent forum for sports debate, so we together can produce creative thinking for a sports world in change.

Did the Summer Olympics 2008 bring China and the rest of the world closer together? Is there a cure to match fixing in sport? How can sport work to serve peace and reconciliation? Can Interpol stop the growing illegal doping trade? Who were the sports leaders that received 138 million Swiss Francs handed out as bribes throughout the 90s? And why is the youth turning its back on sport?

Play the Game has decided to celebrate its 6th world communication conference one week earlier than scheduled. The new dates are 8-12 June.