The seventh session of the seventh edition of MESGO, dedicated to the future of sport, took place in Tokyo from 15 to 19 January 2024 and was directed by Holger Preuss, Professor at Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz.
The Tokyo session was an ideal opportunity for MESGO participants to consider the future challenges they might face as leaders in the sport industry in the years ahead and to analyse their specific organisations in the light of Japanese culture and sport.
During the five-day session, the MESGO group was welcomed in the heart of prestigious venues such as the Kodokan Judo Institute, the Japan Football Association, Japan Sport Olympic Square, Waseda University and Rakuten.
The MESGO group at the Japan Football Association.
Throughout the week, participants had the opportunity to discuss and exchange views with experts on topics as diverse as the future of sport governance and the challenges facing sport organisations; climate change and its implications for sport; the impact of the new geopolitical order and how it affects sport; why and how future game formats will change; how to use sport for development and peace and inevitably, technology.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the speakers who contributed to this session and to Haruki Uemura (President, Kodokan Judo Institute), Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (General Secretary, Japan Football Association), Mitsugi Oagata (Secretary General, Japan Olympic Committee), Hirotaka Matsuoka (Dean, Waseda University) and Kentaro Hyakuno (Executive Vice President, Rakuten) for their warm welcome and consideration.
At the Kodokan Judo Institute: Discussion about Sport in Japan with Dr Yoshio Takahashi (Professor, Tsakuba University) and Toshiyuki Okeya, Deputy Devision Manager, Sport Integrity Unit, Japan Sport Council.
At the Japan Football Association: Presentation about football in Japan and the WE League by Kay Matsuoka (Executive Committee Member and General Manager, Marketing Division, Japan Women’s Empowerment Professional Football League), Haruna Takata (Chairperson, Japan Women’s Empowerment Professional Football League), Miyuki Kobayashi (Executive Committee Member and General Manager, Football Division, Japan Women’s Empowerment Professional Football League).
At the Japan Football Association: Debate about the future of major events governance with Dr Raffaele Chiulli (President, Association of IOC Recognised International Sport Federations and President, Union Internationale Motonautique), Holger Preuss (Member IOC sustainability commission, Professor, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz) and Philippe BlanchardF(ormer Director, International Olympic Committee and Director, Expo 2020 Dubai).
Outside of the classroom, participants were able to immerse themselves in Japanese culture through new culinary discoveries, taking part in judo practice and watching a sumo tournament.
The MESGO group at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan.
The next MESGO session will take place in New York from 23-26 April 2024 and will be dedicated to the North American model of sport.