LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Michel Platini and Ian Thorpe will be among the speakers at the eighth SportAccord Convention this month. UEFA President Platini and Olympic swimming legend Thorpe will take part in conference sessions during the Convention in Dubai from April 25-30.
Platini, whose great career on the pitch included a European championship as captain of France and three Ballon d’Or awards as Europe’s top player, will join FIFA President Sepp Blatter among the participants in a panel session on the Autonomy of Sport. Five-time Olympic gold medallist Thorpe, who also won eleven world championship golds, will be featured in a special Interview of the Day.
Among the other speakers in the amazing conference line-up for the SportAccord Convention are former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Indian cricket star Rahul Dravid.
HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, President of the Dubai Organising Committee for the 2010 SportAccord Convention, President of the International Equestrian Federation and Member of the International Olympic Committee, will be a speaker in a session dedicated to Sport`s Role as a Leader in Sustainable Development.
The SportAccord Convention will take place in Dubai at the Atlantis Palm Resort. It is the first edition of the SportAccord Convention to be held in the Middle East.
Every year SportAccord Week features a dynamic exhibition, numerous networking receptions and top-level conference sessions, including the City Forum, as well as the annual general meetings of the Sports Governing Bodies. The Convention attracts over 1,500 leading representatives of international sport.
About the SportAccord Convention
The SportAccord Convention annually brings representatives from the 100 international sports federations and organisations affiliated to SportAccord/GAISF (General Association of International Sports Federations), ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations) and AIOWF (Association of the International Olympic Winter Sports Federations), as well as the International Olympic Committee Executive Board, together with sponsors, bidding and host cities, architects, sports lawyers, broadcasters, games organising committees, rights holders and other specialists to discuss the key issues facing the sports industry.
Owned by SportAccord/GAISF, ASOIF and AIOWF, the SportAccord Convention encompasses the annual Congress and General Assembly of each association, while offering the sports community a powerful opportunity to come together in an exclusive and authoritative networking environment to build relationships, exchange knowledge and develop ideas.
