Elite sports have a very low priority by the politicians of the Danish Parlament (Folketing) and the government ministers, except when they are guests at the Confederation of Danish Sports (DIF) during the Olympic Games or prizes are to be awarded at annual TV galla shows where Denmark\u2019s best athletes are honored. During the coming autumn, however, the parliamentary parties will, for only the third time in four decades, discuss Danish elite sports in an international perspective. The background for the additions to the Act on Elite Sports is primarily the so-called \u201cswimming case\u201d, which stems from DR\u2019s documentary broadcast: \u201cSwimming stars \u2013 below the surface\u201d (April 21, 2019) and the Chamber Advocate\u2019s subsequent report: \u201cInvestigation of conditions for elite swimmers in the Danish Swimming Federation\u201d was published on February 7, 2020. On the basis of the \u201cswimming case\u201d \u2013 and similar cases in e.g. Badminton Denmark and the Danish Orienteering Federation \u2013 on non-well-being, violations and unacceptable behavior, the Minister of Culture decided a few weeks ago that \u201c\u2026 there is a need to change the rules regarding, the composition of the Team Denmark board to emphasize Team Danmark\u2019s supervisory obligation, strengthen the athletes\u2019 voice and minimize potential conflicts of interest\/incapacity in Team Danmark\u2019s board \u201d(Press release from the Ministry of Culture, July 2, 2020).<\/p>\n
Elite sports at the international level are a selective and exclusive system<\/strong><\/p>\n This is not a thorough revision of the existing Act on Elite Sport, but only additions. It is, in my opinion, both inappropriate and annoying. There is more than ever a need for politicians to put words to and direction for the most important purpose(s) of Danish elite sports in an international context. The first section of the Act on Elite Sport states that \u201c\u2026 Team Denmark is a public, self-governing institution that aims to develop Danish elite sports in a\u00a0 socially manner\u201d \u2013 but develop Danish elite sports for what? Today, there is an unfortunate mix of targets or means in relation to the overall aim of the Act. Sporting results are e.g. not specifically mentioned, neither in the main clause of the Act nor in the 12 tasks described by the Act. However, it is pointless not to view Team Denmark\u2019s work from an international results perspective, ie. good sporting results at international events such as the Olympic Games, the World Championships and the European Championships \u2013 but certainly not at any price. Sexual offenses, dispensing of medicine without medical approval or the like do not (nor) belong in the world of sports, but examples of e.g. non-well-being and eating disorders will always occur in certain training environments. Likewise, it is my opinion that \u201c\u2026 elite sports at the international level is a selective and exclusive system where athletes can and must be deselected. Far from everyone thrives in such a system. Yes \u2013 maybe it\u2019s really the fewest. There will always be a power relationship between athlete and coach, as the coach\u2019s task is to deselect and prioritize among the athletes. For that reason, it is also pointless to compare elite sports environments with, for example, workplaces and educational institutions, where inclusion and social care are core values \u200b\u200b\u201d(\u201d Will all that talk of well-being force Danish athletes down from the medal podium \u201c, Jyllands-Posten,\u00a0 July 8, 2020 ).<\/p>\n Will the additions to the Act on Elite Sports have consequences for Team Denmark\u2019s next support programme or and the contract with the Ministry of Culture?<\/strong><\/p>\n If the Minister of Culture and the parties in the Parlament (Folketing) fail to discuss and take a position on the most essential issue in the discussion of Danish elite sports in an international perspective \u2013 the overall aim(s) and direction of development of Danish elite sports \u2013 it will be exciting to follow the consequences. partly for Team Denmark\u2019s support programme 2021-2024 and partly for the contract between Team Denmark and the Ministry of Culture in the same period. The latest 4 support programme (2005-2020), which define who, what and how Team Denmark can support athletes, teams and federations and the latest three contracts between Team Denmark and the Ministry of Culture (2009-2020) have emphasized that the most important aim has been to \u201d \u2026 Team Denmark-supported federations must perform at the highest international level and win medals at the European Championships, World Championships and Olympic Games. At the same time, Denmark as a nation must place in the Top-5 among nations under 10 million inhabitants and in the Top-25 among all nations measured on international rankings \u201d(Contract between Team Denmark and the Ministry of Culture 2017-2020, February 2017). Will objective, measurable sporting results have the same value and significance when the additions to the Act on Elite Sports enter into force on 1 January 2021 or will other objectives achieve higher priority at the request of Team Denmark and\/or the Minister of Culture?<\/p>\n An \u201cindependent\u201d function can be a completely wrong solution<\/strong><\/p>\n With the additions to the Act on Elite Sports, as mentioned earlier, the Minister of Culture wishes to strengthen Team Denmark\u2019s supervisory obligation, so that the institution \u201c\u2026 is obliged to supervise that the rules and guidelines that apply to Team Denmark and that Team Denmark lays down are complied with, and that the work of the federations and similar partners with whom Team Danmark collaborates takes place in accordance with Team Danmark\u2019s ethical and social guidelines\u201dand\u201c\u2026 Team Danmark establishes an independent function with a specially appointed person that athletes, coaches and others can contact them if they experience unacceptable behavior in the training and competition environments that Team Denmark collaborates with. The independent function refers directly to Team Denmark\u2019s board \u201d. The most interesting thing about the above addition, however, is that \u201c\u2026 Team Denmark is responsible for establishing and preparing a detailed description of the independent function after discussion with the athletes\u2019 representatives and the involvement of the Danish Data Protection Agency. The description of the function must appear in Team Denmark\u2019s articles of association \u201d(Proposal for the Act on Elite Sports, the Act on the Promotion of Integrity in Sport and the Act on the Distribution of Profits from the Lottery, July 2020). However, it will be paramount to the value and quality of an \u201cindependent\u201d function that the general legal principles of separation between a legislative, executive and judicial power apply. If Team Denmark\u2019s Board of Directors is to be both a legislative and judicial institution with a \u201cspecially appointed person\u201d with reference to Team Denmark\u2019s Board of Directors as executive institution, this will be a very unfortunate construction. I have always been very concerned when sports organizations \u2013 or others \u2013 have established and developed \u201cparallel systems\u201d for the general courts. And precisely in relation to elite sports, where the \u201cwork\u201d\u00a0 by training and competitions rests on a legal basis, conflicts, disputes and serious disagreements should be decided in general courts when a party \u2013 athlete, coach, sports director, federation or others \u2013 experiences an offense by a counterparty. The greatest strengths in ordinary courts are that all actors have the right and duty to testify and that all statements are made under the responsibility of witnesses. Media and public debate are absolutely central in any democratic legal society, but interpretation, punishment and sanctions in relation to society\u2019s laws and rules \u2013 including the Act on Elite Sports \u2013 must be handled by the courts and not by other bodies.<\/p>\n Capacity applies to everyone \u2013 except the members of the Confederation of Danish Sport\u2019s (DIF) board members<\/strong><\/p>\n The additions to the Act on Elite Sports also contain some positive changes, not least in relation to the capacity of board members. The Minister of Culture proposes that \u201c\u2026 members of Team Denmark\u2019s board may not at the same time be employed in the Confederation of Danish Sports or federation under the Confederation of Danish Sports or be a member of the board of a federation under the Confederation of Danish Sports (DIF)\u201d. In my opinion, Team Denmark should be an independent, professional knowledge institution without board members with narrow sports policy and financial self-interests. It is very positive that the Minister of Culture \u2013 after the grotesque mixing of interests with the CEO of the Danish Swimming Federation, who was nominated by DIF to Team Denmark\u2019s board \u2013 now proposes that this can not take place in the future. But it is still extremely unfortunate that board members of the Confederation of Danish Sports (DIF) can still \u2013 also \u2013 be board members of Team Denmark. Over the years, there have been a number of cases, including The Danish Volleyball Federation\u2019s lawsuit against Team Denmark (2010-2011) and the case\u00a0 regarding the location of a national elite sports center (2011-2014), where several of Team Denmark\u2019s board members nominated by DIF had more than difficulty finding out which interests they represented: Team Denmark or the Confederation of Danish Sports. In my opinion, there are no reasons for the special status of DIF\u2019s board members \u2013 in relation to DIF\u2019s members: Board members and employees in the federations \u2013 when it comes to membership of Team Denmark\u2019s board.<\/p>\n You can read about my views and attitudes regarding Act on Elite sports and the \u201cswimming case\u201d in the following blogs:<\/p>\n\n
\nContinued in deep water \u2013 A lifebuoy was thrown, but without land in sight (May 10, 2019) \u2013
\nhttps:\/\/ma57.dk\/fortsat-paa-dybt-vand-en-redningskrans-blev-kastet-men-uden-land-i-sigte\/<\/li>\n
\n\u201cStudy of the conditions for elite swimmers in the Danish Swimming Union\u201d \u2013 Personal comments (9 February 2020) \u2013 https:\/\/ma57.dk\/undersoegelse-af-forholdene-for-elitesvoemmere-i-dansk-svoemmeunion\/<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"