Balancing the Game: The Fine Line of Sports Diplomacy

Sports competitions like the upcoming Olympics and the FIFA World Cup have long been a fixture on the global stage, drawing widespread attention and engagement. Sport serves as a platform for cooperation and influence across borders—often through government initiatives, athlete advocacy, and fan engagement.

Though still a developing field, sports diplomacy is increasingly recognized as a form of soft power —supporting international goodwill, cultural exchange, and shared values. For countries like the United States and Germany, sport has become a powerful way to promote shared values, inclusion, and mutual understanding. At the same time, athletes often focus not on political meaning, but on the pride of representing their teams, their countries, and the love for the game itself.

This conversation will explore sports diplomacy from multiple perspectives—political, economic, and athletic. We’ll discuss how governments and international institutions engage through sport, how athletes view their roles beyond the game, how teams and fans build unity across diverse backgrounds, and how sport is used to promote inclusion and opportunity through global initiatives.

Speakers:

Arne Friedrich, Founder Arne Friedrich Foundation

Lindsay Krasnoff, Sports Diplomacy Expert, NYU

Lyzz Ogunwo, VP, Player Experience, Operation and Global Impact, National Basketball Players Association

Marc Lingenhoff, Managing Director BVB Americas Inc.

Please note that location is subject to change!

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Arne Friedrich is a former German professional footballer and founder of the Arne Friedrich Foundation, dedicated to improving the lives of children through education, integration, and healthcare initiatives. Born in 1979 in Bad Oeynhausen, he played eight seasons with Hertha BSC (2002–2010) and spent nine years with Germany’s national team, earning two World Cup bronze medals and finishing as runner-up at the 2008 European Championship. He retired in 2013.

In response to the 2015 refugee crisis, Friedrich launched his foundation, focusing on children in vulnerable circumstances. Its efforts include support for the Caritas Children’s Hospice Center LEO in Berlin, educational programs like “Education Wins,” and partnerships with institutions such as the Charité Heart Center.

In addition to his charitable work, Friedrich appears as a media expert and hosts the podcast “From Done to Dare,” where he speaks with guests about navigating change and new beginnings—something he has experienced firsthand, from career setbacks to personal transitions.

He returned to Hertha BSC in a management role from 2019 to 2022 and now lives in Berlin, where he continues to be actively engaged in social initiatives.

Dr. Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff is a globally-recognized sports diplomacy expert and Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University’s Tisch Institute for Global Sport. She is author of Basketball Empire: France and the Making of a Global NBA and WNBA (Bloomsbury,2023), “Views From the Embassy: The Role of the U.S. Diplomatic Community in France, 1914,” (U.S. Department of State, 2014), The Making of Les Bleus: Sport in France, 1958-2010 (Lexington Books,2013), directs the FranceAndUS project and has written for national and international media like TIME, CNN International, The Athletic, The Washington Post, The New Yorker. Her consulting work centers around helping global sport stakeholders better understand sports diplomacy and their roles as different types of sports diplomats. A veteran of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Historian, Krasnoff holds a B.A. from George Washington University; M.A. from NYU; PhD in History from The Graduate Center, City University of New York.

Lyzz Ogunwo serves as the Vice President of International Development and Global Impact for the National Basketball Players Association, the union that represents all active NBA players. In this role, Ogunwo leads the NBPA’s global social impact initiatives with a focus on Africa and advancing academia, policy, and thought leadership development for the union. Since 2017, Ogunwo has worked with the NBPA Foundation, leading the development of philanthropic resources and support for the individual efforts of NBPA members and the Foundation’s programmatic work domestically and abroad. Most recently, Ogunwo served as the Foundation’s interim Executive Director in 2022. Before joining the NBPA Foundation in 2017, Ogunwo spent over a decade in politics and government affairs, notably serving as the White House Leadership Development Director and White House Liaison to the Peace Corps during the Obama Administration. Under President Obama's first term at the Department of Energy, Ogunwo helped to advance the White House Energy Council on Women and Girls and the International Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) initiative. Ogunwo holds a B.A. in International Affairs and Corporate Communications from James Madison University and a Master's in Public Administration from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Senegal).

Marc Lingenhoff is the Managing Director of BVB Americas, leading efforts to grow brand awareness and fan engagement in the U.S. market. With over 20 years of experience in the global soccer industry, he has worked with iconic clubs and athletes, including Lionel Messi, and has driven innovative strategies and partnerships at adidas and Avery Dennison.

Passionate about the intersection of sports and culture, Marc sees sports as a powerful platform for fostering dialogue, collaboration, and shared experiences. A native German with international experience across Europe, North America, and Latin America, he is fluent in German, Spanish, and English.

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