Jens Sejer Andersen
International director, Play the Game
CURRICULUM VITAE for Jens Sejer Andersen (download pdf)
b. 1960, married, three children
International Director of Play the Game and the Danish Institute for Sports Studies.
jens@playthegame.org
Education and employment
1986: Graduated from the Danish School of Journalism, Aarhus.
1986: Radio reporter at regional branch of Danish Broadcasting System/DR Næstved.
1987-1990: Freelance journalist at "Freelance 45" in Aarhus. Professional trips to Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico and Cuba. Writing about Latin American affairs for the daily "Information" and a broad range of magazines and newspapers in Scandinavia. Radio reporting for Danish Broadcasting Corporation. PR work for Gerlev Idrætshøjskole, a sports college in the "folkehøjskole" tradition.
Numerous articles on people's sports culture home and abroad.
1990-92: Editor-in-Chief of Danish Gymnastics and Youth Associations (DDGU) until its merging with Danish Shooting, Gymnastics and Sports Associations.
1992-2003: Editor-in-Chief of Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations (DGI), one of Denmark's largest organisations counting 5,000 local clubs with 1.4 million individual members.
Responsible for the weekly "Ungdom & Idraet" (= Youth & Sports) on leadership, sports politics and culture, 36 annual editions/17.000 copies.
1993-2003: Launching and editing "Instruktørmagasinet Krumspring" on lively and varied daily sports practice, 9 annual editions, 43.000 copies, in its time the most popular sports magazine in Denmark
2000-2010: Editor-in-Chief of www.playthegame.org
2004-2010: Director of the independent institution Play the Game
2011- : International Director of Play the Game and the Danish Institute for Sports Studies after the merger of the two institutions by January 2011
Conference and educational activities
1987-2000: Lecturing at various Danish universities, folkehøjskoler, local associations, seminars, etc.
1990-1995: Organiser of three mid-career training courses for Danish sports journalists
1997: Promoting and organising "Sport, Media and Civil Society" - the first international press arrangement ever on sport as a popular cultural movement and on the journalist's professional dilemmas created by globalisation, hosting 109 media professionals and sports researchers from 34 countries
2000- 2011: Organiser of six further world communication conference "Play the Game" aiming at raising the ethical standards of sports and promoting democracy, transparency and freedom of expression in world sport:
- 2000, 2002 and 2005: DGI-byen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2007: Reykjavik, Iceland, in co-operation with national youth organisation UMFI
- 2009: Coventry, the United Kingdom, in co-operation with Coventry University
- 2011: Cologne, Germany, in co-operation with the German Sport University Cologne
The latest conference was attended by over 300 media professionals, academic researchers, sports leaders and public authorities.
Content of the seven conferences is documented in video, audio, text and pictures at www.playthegame.org/conferences
Play the Game has co-hosted the following events in co-operation with Nordic Journalist Centre, media training institute UPDATE, Danish School of Journalism and Danish Institute for Sports Studies:
- One-day seminar “The Great Nordic Gambling War”, Copenhagen, October 2006
- Week seminar for nordic journalists: “International idræt: I magtens hjerte” – Lausanne, Switzerland, December 2006´
- “The Olympics in China: The Price of the Medal”, international seminar at the University of Aarhus, June 2008
- Media training course “Sweat for Millions” (15 ECPT), 2007
- 10-weeks specialised course for graduating students at the Danish School for Media and Journalism
On the occasion of the Beijing Summer Olympics 2008, Play the Game organized the inter-continental dialogue project “Play the Game for Open Journalism” in co-operation with the International Federation of Journalism.
2012-: Coordinator of Play the Game/Idan’s EU-project ”Action for Good Governance in International Sports Organisations” in cooperation with European Journalism Centre and universities of Loughborough, Leuven, Utrecht, Cologne, Lausanne and Ljubljana. The partners have decided to continue the project after the expiration of the EU grant in April 2013.
2012: Organiser of keynote plenary sessions for the 20th conference of the European Association for Sports Management, Aalborg, Denmark 2012: Organiser of “Mega-events and Democracy: Risks and Opportunities”/A Play the Game day in Brazil, 24 October, SESC Vila Mariana, São Paulo
Speaking engagements
Over two decades a regular presenter, panellist and chairperson at sports political meetings, seminars and conferences etc. in Denmark organised by, among others:
Anti-Doping Denmark, Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations, Danish Institute for Sports Studies, Danish Olympic Academy, Danish School for Media and Journalism, DBU – Danish Football Association, Gerlev Sports Academy, Lion’s Club, National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark, Rotary, Team Denmark, Viborg Sports Academy, University of Aarhus, UPDATE.
International engagements (* = invited speaker):
* Sports Millenium Seminar in Mauritius, organised by the Mauritian Sports Journalists Association, December 1999
* Seminar "Stop Doping" in Cagliari, Sardinia, hosted by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), the Italian Ministry of Education and the Italian Soccer Federation's Youth Sector, September 2000 * Anti-doping seminar for 400 Italian school teachers in Marina di Massa, organised by the Italian Ministry of Education, March 2001 * IFJ (International Federation of Journalists) Sports and Global Media Conference in Athens, Greece, May 2004
ICSSPE Pre-Olympic Congress, Thessaloniki, Greece, August 2004
* International Forum for Sport and Development, Bad Boll, Germany, February 2005
* Nordic Sports Summit, Oslo, Norway, September 2005
* Seminar celebrating the 70th anniversary of professor Hans B. Skaset, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway, November 2005
* United Nations 2nd Magglingen Conference on Sport for Development and Peace, Switzerland, December 2005
* “Play fair with sport”, seminar organised by the Council of Europe and UEFA, Strasbourg, September 2006
* 1st European Sport for All Congress, Portoroz, organised by ISCA, Slovenia, October 2006
* 12th International Anti-Corruption Conference, Guatemala, November 2006
* ICSSPE Seminar on “Career Development” for students at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, March 2007
University of Birkbeck, London, UK, April 2007
ISPHPES and ISSA conference, Copenhagen, August 2007
* Seminar “Unter Druck: Qualitätssicherung im Sportjournalismus” organized by Sportnetzwerk at the University of Dortmund, Germany, February 2008
ICSEMIS Pre-Olympic Scientific Conference, Guangzhou, China, July 2008
* Media launch of French edition of Declan Hill’s “The Fix”, Paris, France, September 2008
EASM conference 2008, Heidelberg, Germany, September 2008
* Seminar “The Social Impact of Sport Governance & Management” Università Bocconi, Milano, Italy, November 2008
* Seminar “Deporte, Política y Sociedad”, University of Maracay, Venezuela, November 2009
* International sports journalism seminar organised by Fundación Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano (FNPI), Medellín, Colombia, November 2009
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, February 2010
* UCSIA international workshop 'Sports, A Matter of Peace?' - University Antwerp, October 2010
* Seminar organised by the European Journalism Centre and the EU Sports Unit on the occasion of the EU Sports Forum, Budapest, February 2011
* International seminar “Deporte y Sociedad” organized by Salvemos Al Futbol, Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 2011
* Seminar “Antidopaje y el desarrollo de valores a través del deporte” organised by the Ministry of Turism and Sport and the regional office of WADA, Montevideo, Uruguay, June 2011
* 6th congress of Abraji, Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalists, São Paulo, Brazil, July 2011
* Expert witness at parliamentary hearing on corruption in sport in Der Bundestag, Berlin, Germany, September 2011
* 3rd international conference on young African football players, organized by Foot Solidaire, Lausanne, Switzerland, January 2012
* ”What can FIFA learn from the reform process at the IOC?”, Public lecture at Birkbeck, University of London, UK, 22 February 2012
Chairing sessions on the gambling market and on senior sport at EU conference SportVision 2012, arr. by ISCA, Anti-Doping Danmark, Danish sports confederations and the Ministry of Culture, Copenhagen, 19-20 March 2012.
* ”Ti minutter: Ti indgange til ti temaer du gerne må fortie i 2012" at seminar on the media coverage of the London 2012 Olympics, organized by the Section of Sport, Aarhus University, Denmark, 16 May 2012
Chairing and speaking at session on Action for Good Governance in International Sports Organisations, Sport&EU conference, IDHEAP, Lausanne, Switzerland, 21 June 2012
* ”Reforming sport – A point of no return?” at Master Student Seminar at the 20th EASM conference, Aalborg, Denmark, 17 September 2012
* Keynote speech “Seven sins of omission in sport: Challenges to academic and journalistic research” at the 20th conference of the European Association for Sports Management, Aalborg, Denmark, 19 September 2013
Chairing and hosting Play the Game symposium: “AGGIS – Towards a Global Governance Index for sports” at the 20th EASM conference, Aalborg, Denmark, 21 September 2012
* “Reforming sport: A point of no return?”, Askov Højskole, Denmark, 28 September 2012
Speaking, chairing and hosting at “Mega-events and Democracy: Risks and Opportunities”/A Play the Game day in Brazil, SESC Vila Mariana, São Paulo, 24 October 2012
* Chairing round table on “Designed to Move”-campaign at Move2012, arr. by ISCA og SESC São Paulo, 26. October 2012
* “Reforming sport: A point of no return?” at the 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference, organized by Transparency International and the Brazilian government, Brasilia, 9 November 2012
* “The democratic movement culture and seven sins of omission in sport” at the15th International Anti-Corruption Conference, organized by Transparency International and the Brazilian government, Brasilia, 10 November 2012
* Expert witness at public hearing at the European Parliament on “Financial fair play and the fight against corruption in sport”, Brussels, Belgium, 18 December 2012
* Network meeting for compliance officers in major Danish-based companies, Ballerup, Denmark, 17 January 2013
* Master of Ceremonies at 2-day “Unify & Go”-seminar under the “Designed to Move”-campaign, arranged by Nike, Portland, Oregon, USA, 20-21 February 2013
Speaking, chairing and co-hosting seminar “The Challenge for Europe in the Governance in Sport”, Brussels, Belgium, 8 April 2013
Books and publications
"Det ny Uruguay - de hjemvendte flygtninge og det ny demokrati" (The new Uruguay - repatriation and the new democracy"), MS/Hovedland 1987.
"Job i Idræt" (Job in Sports), Forlaget Studie & Erhverv 1989.
"Society's Watchdog - or Showbiz' Pet?", anthology of manuscripts from international press seminar, co-editor with Jørn Møller, DGI 1998.
Contributor to The National Danish Encyclopedia with several articles 1995-2002.
Various newspaper columns on sports politics. Chapters in anthologies, etc.
“Fra egenværdi til megen værdi” in anthology “Demokrati og kropslighed”, forlaget Bavnebanke, Denmark, 1999
”Mediernes mulighed – fra passiv doping til aktivt demokrati” in anthology ”Idrættens enhed eller mangfoldighed”, Klim, Denmark, 2002
“Berntines Vækkeur” in “Fred er ei det beste”, publication honouring prof. Hans B. Skaset, Oslo 2005
”Play the Game” in ”Korruption im Sport”, anthology on sports corruption, Forum Verlag Leipzig 2006
Consultant on “Straffe!”, Danish edition of Andrew Jennings’ “Foul!”, Forlaget Ajour 2006
“Sport: Schalchtfeld für Wertekämpfer”” in “Du brauchst Bewegung”, Stuttgart, Germany, 2008
”Farlige ord på fri fod” in Idrætshistorisk Årbog 2008
”Play the Game” in ”Sport bejz Korupcji”, Ministerstwo Spraw Wewnetrznych i Administracji, Poland 2009
“El deporte: un campo de batalla en la lucha por valores” and “Palabras Peligrosas en Libertad” in “Reflexiones, Artículos y Comentarios Acerca Del Deporte”, Ediciones IRDA, Maracay, Venezuela, 2010
“Personlige ord om Jørn Møller” in “Med leg skal land bygges”, Bavnebanke 2010
“Sport and Good Governance; Are They Compatible Values?” in “Sports, Governance, Development and Corporate Responsibility”, Routledge 2012
Organisational activities
1997-2004: Co-ordinator of Sports Intelligence Unit, an international network of media professionals and sports researchers. The activities of the SIU stopped when Play the Game became an independent institution in 2004.
2004-2010: Founding member of the board of the Danish Institute for Sports Studies, appointed by the Minister of Culture.
2006-2009: Member of the National Danish Council for Children, appointed by the Danish Minister of Family Affairs
2006- : Editorial Board Advisor for the International Council of Sports Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) 2012-: Observer at the Expert Group on Good Governance in Sport, established by the EU Council of Ministers
Awards:
The Gerlev Award 2003 for personal efforts to promote freedom of expression in sports. Received the Gerlev Award 2008 on behalf of Play the Game for its fight for democracy, transparency and freedom of expression in world sport
2011 Sports Journalist of the Year, awarded by Danish Association of Sports Journalists.
Lyrics:
Lyrics and songs for various occasions, such as gala nights during DGI festivals (Landsstævner) in 1994 and 1998, sports gala celebrating Copenhagen as Cultural Capital of Europe 1996, inauguration of The Movement House in Gerlev 1988, inauguration of the sports centre DGI-byen 1997, inauguration of the Water Culture House 1999, celebration of the 75th anniversary of the reunion of Denmark and Southern Jutland 1995, 50th anniversary for Academy of physical education in Viborg, 25th anniversary for Brenderup Folkehøjskole etc.
Represented in the two most circulated Danish songbooks, “Højskolesangbogen” and “DGI-sangbogen”.
Working languages:
English, Spanish, French, German and Danish. Understands Norwegian, Swedish and some Italian and Portuguese.
Presentations at Play the Game conferences:
Opening Speech - Play the Game 2011 (Pdf.)
Opening Speech - Play the Game 2009 (Pdf.)
Opening Speech - Play the Game 2007 (Pdf.)
Words of Welcome: Rescuing Sport from Itself - Play the Game 2005 (Pdf.)
Idrættens Analyseinstitut
-
En løftet olympisk pegefinger til Europas sidste diktator
15-12-2020
-
Kronprins i klemme
15-03-2018
-
FIFA’s forsigtige fremskridt
27-02-2016
-
Personen Blatter træder tilbage, vil systemet Blatter fortsætte?
03-06-2015
-
Den globale idræts krise er Danmarks store chance
22-02-2015
-
Nyt FN-charter skal styrke den globale idrætspolitik
09-09-2014
-
Brasilien er de sande verdensmestre – i idrætsdebat
22-07-2014
-
FIFA’s nye etiske komité dumper sin første test
03-05-2013
-
FIFA’s kaptajn styrer mod forlis
07-06-2011
-
Olympisk korruption: Er foråret på vej?
28-02-2011
-
Idrætsfusk for retten i Schweiz
08-03-2006
-
Play the Game holder debat om sportens ledelseskultur
18-01-2017
-
International idræt: Tid til handling
04-03-2015
-
Krav om international indsats mod matchfixing og korruption i sport
20-05-2014
-
Brasilien mangler national idrætspolitik
11-04-2013
-
Kampen om Maracanã
11-04-2013
-
VM og OL sætter fokus på korruption
11-04-2013
-
Brasilien strammer op mod korruption
10-04-2013
-
Gør fodboldens triste dag til festdag
13-02-2013
-
Brasilien risikerer 'hvide elefanter'
24-10-2012
-
FIFA-reformator til Aalborg
27-04-2012
-
Rekorddeltagelse i presseundersøgelse
18-04-2011
-
Danmark langt fra indflydelse i IOC
17-03-2011
-
Fodboldens djævleuddrivelse
17-11-2010
-
Rogge rydder vejen for reformer – vil han betræde den?
12-10-2009
Play the Game
-
Andrew Jennings (1943-2022), the incomparable
10-01-2022
-
Italians rally to support an athlete acquitted in court and sanctioned by sport
19-04-2021
-
The man who blew the whistle on his own corruption
09-06-2020
-
Governments step up their actions against sports corruption
18-12-2019
-
A playful democrat has passed away
28-04-2017
-
The Olympic contempt for clean athletes
25-07-2016
-
IAAF launches far-reaching reform proposals
07-07-2016
-
Pressure builds on FIFA leaders before crucial meeting
16-07-2015
-
Governments face global upgrade of their sports policies
06-01-2015
-
FIVB accused of violating statutes to oust former presidential candidate
29-10-2014
-
Volleyball president Graça seeks eight-year term to avoid age limit
29-10-2014
-
World volleyball president gave profitable contracts to family members
01-09-2014
-
Is bad performance in sport connected to bad governance?
11-07-2014
-
ICSS and Sorbonne University call for World Forum for Sports Integrity
16-05-2014
-
World leaders in volleyball threatened by Brazilian corruption scandal
18-03-2014
-
Downsizing Olympics: The Olympic spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak
07-02-2014
-
Opening speech: The democratic noise of sport
28-10-2013
-
Brazil lacks national sports policy
10-05-2013
-
Brazil ups fight against corruption, puts sport under pressure
10-05-2013
-
Brazilian corruption fighters face resistance
10-05-2013
-
The battle of Maracanã
10-05-2013
-
The Challenge for Europe in the Governance of Sport
09-04-2013
-
Playing by the rules: Financial fair play and the fight against corruption in sport
19-12-2012
-
Brazilian stadium legacy may end up below international average
23-10-2012
-
Former FIFA director Champagne joins Play the Game day in Brazil, registration opens
05-10-2012
-
Join the Play the Game day in São Paulo, Brazil, 24 October
14-09-2012
-
A taste of Play the Game at EASM 2012 in Aalborg
06-07-2012
-
Former WADA-president Richard W. Pound goes to EASM 2012 calling for a stronger effort against corruption in sport
06-07-2012
-
Europe wants convention against match fixing
25-06-2012
-
Gun threat and desperation as police try to take over Mario Goijman’s home
17-03-2012
-
No tears shed for Teixeira in Brazil, now it is FIFA’s turn
14-03-2012
-
From terrible to tragic: The situation of sports corruption fighter Mario Goijman
02-12-2011
-
FIFA opens revolving door for anti-corruption heavyweight, leaving main dilemma unresolved
30-11-2011
-
FIFA’s invisible transparency reforms
24-10-2011
-
Danish FA Chairman calls for Interpol to investigate sports organisations
30-05-2011
-
Sport: A battlefield for value fighters
27-04-2011
-
The Magicians of Sport: How the Greatest Corruption Scandal in World Sport Vanished Before We Knew It Existed
19-10-2010
-
Wu: IOC should give moral support, but not interfere
06-10-2009
-
IOC confirms establishment of betting control for future Olympics
04-10-2009
-
IOC Vice-President sets out to curb governments and corrupt sports leaders
04-10-2009
-
Play the Game 2009 Call for Papers to be launched Monday 8 December
01-12-2008
-
Photographer Niels Nyholm in memoriam
10-04-2008
-
Two staff members leave Play the Game
27-06-2007
-
Play the Game apologises to Jean-François Lamour, Vice-President of WADA
14-05-2007
-
Towards a global coalition for good governance in sport
26-01-2007
-
Small numbers, high ambitions when new volleyball federation was founded
27-11-2006
-
FIABVB's credibility challenge from within
27-11-2006
-
Manipulating Acosta may gain on world volley breakaways
20-11-2006
-
FIVB congress spent hours on attacking former secretary general
20-11-2006
-
FIFA softens towards EU whilst IOC sends mixed signals
08-11-2006
-
Surprise agreement in Kenyan football, Munro still in the country
07-11-2006
-
Kenyan government deports football developer Bob Munro
03-11-2006
-
Deportation shows government’s disregard for democracy and its own people
03-11-2006
-
IOC and FIFA in row with UEFA over EU intervention in sport
13-10-2006
-
Historic merger in German sports
26-05-2006
-
Danish foundation gives important grant to Play the Game
26-05-2006
-
Rescuing sport from itself
30-11-2005
-
Play the Game urges FIFA to speak up louder
09-11-2005
-
Words of Welcome
09-11-2002
-
Fight Against Doping: Scientists Voice Doubts
06-06-2001
-
Victims of Passive Doping
13-11-2000
-
Hunting the Shadows - (or: Just Don't Do It)
31-08-1998
-
The work of improving sports governance has just begun
26-11-2021
-
CAS on Russia: WADA won the battle, but lost the power to push victory through
18-12-2020
-
Olympic finger-wagging at Europe’s last dictator
15-12-2020
-
FBI vs. FIFA: How deep an impact?
28-05-2020
-
A decade that opened windows of democracy in sport
31-12-2019
-
Athlete activism: An omen for sport in the 2020's?
13-10-2019
-
Will the rise of athletes’ power lead to the fall of empires?
09-10-2019
-
The athlete’s right to have a voice
13-06-2018
-
The games that are not really games
09-02-2018
-
European politicians demand radical change of sports governance
22-01-2018
-
The sanctions against Russia: A turning point for the IOC?
06-12-2017
-
Why democracy matters in movement and sport cultures
30-10-2017
-
The unsung heroes that bring us out of the dark
15-07-2017
-
Anti-doping: Give WADA more owners and strengthen global commitment
15-03-2017
-
Open letter: Sport owes a dignifying life to the whistleblower Mario Goijman
05-10-2016
-
The Olympic contempt for clean athletes
25-07-2016
-
The IOC and Brazil: A mutual need for hope
09-06-2016
-
Havelange 100 years: Sports leader in disgrace, Olympic guest of honour
08-05-2016
-
Infantino must act before the small cracks of light are covered again
27-02-2016
-
Will FIFA give us reform – or give us the finger?
26-02-2016
-
The year that killed the autonomy of sport
23-12-2015
-
FIFA: Once again, more make-up than make-over
21-07-2015
-
Blatter the person is going, will Blatter the system survive?
03-06-2015
-
IOC’s Agenda 2020: A cautious answer to terrifying challenges
09-12-2014
-
Good governance in sport requires government engagement
18-09-2014
-
Brazil is the true world champion – of sports debate
14-08-2014
-
2013: Rays of hope in a somber world of sport
19-12-2013
-
Fencer, fighter and financier
11-09-2013
-
Tokyo 2020: In the safe hands of the archer
10-09-2013
-
A week of words awaiting sport – but will they lead to action?
28-05-2013
-
FIFA’s new Ethics Committee fails first test
03-05-2013
-
Unanswered questions and unsung heroes
12-07-2012
-
Corruptibilitis: A European remedy for a global epidemic?
27-06-2012
-
Pieth’s prudent paper and Blatter’s play for time
02-04-2012
-
2012: A promising start for the villains of sport
16-02-2012
-
The Titanic challenge of Joseph S. Blatter
06-06-2011
-
Countering corruption: Will spring come to sport?
25-02-2011
-
Globalising football, protecting FIFA’s top leaders
02-12-2010
-
Rogge clears the way for further reform
10-10-2009
-
Samba Sim! New rhythms in the dance around the golden Olympic calf
03-10-2009