We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 BPSA McNamee Essay Prize.
This year we received an exceptionally high number of strong submissions and we would like to express our deep gratitude to all the applicants for their interest and contribution to the philosophy and ethics of sport.
After careful consideration the jury, comprised by Prof. Alfred Archer (BPSA Chair), Prof. Silvia Camporesi (BPSA Deputy Chair), and Prof. Sandra Meeuwsen, has awarded the following prizes and commendations:
1st prize goes to Danielle Mercado for an essay titled “Navigating the Tension: Balancing Egalitarianism and Elitism in the Paralympic Movement”.
Danielle Mercado recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Sports Ethics and Integrity from the Erasmus Mundus programme hosted by Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Danielle’s main area of interest is Paralympic Studies. Danielle has worked with a number of organisations, including Athletics Integrity Unit and the Special Olympics Philippines, to promote integrity and safeguarding in sport.
The 2nd prize on equal merit goes to Xiner Tao for an essay titled “Is the display of “unwillingness to fight” against sportsmanship”, and to Lucas Contador Dourado da Silva for an essay titled “Failure as a Renunciation of Enjoyment: an Interpretation of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Discourse”.
Xiner Tao (also known as Mia) is an alumna of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Sports Ethics and Integrity. She is currently pursuing her PhD in the Philosophy of Sport at Tilburg University, Netherlands, where she focuses on the meanings and values of sport.
Lucas Contador Dourado da Silva is a PhD candidate at the Physical Education School (Faculdade de Educação Física – FEF)/Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), Brazil.
Commendations go to Ke (Aria) Gong for an essay titled “Integrity exists not only in the game: an analysis of tennis governing bodies’ handling of Alexander Zverev’s domestic abuse allegations, and to Tommaso Ropelato for an essay titled “Reimaging talent: how genetic enhancement could shape the future of sports”.
Ke (Aria) Gong is currently in the second year of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master of Arts in Sports Ethics and Integrity (MAiSI) program, pursuing her research interests in gender equity and safeguarding in sports.
Tommaso Ropelato is a PhD candidate in philosophical and religious studies at Università degli Studi di Torino. As one of the Horizon Europe Young Ambassadors 2022, Tommaso is also passionate about creating and disseminating scientific knowledge that can inform and inspire Responsible Innovation for a better future.
The winner and runner ups will present their work at the BPSA online seminar series.
Stay tuned on:
Prof. Silvia Camporesi 