Competitions and Courses
2026 Sports Law Student Writing Competition
The goal of the Sports Law ILC Student Writing Competition is to encourage law student scholarship on current topics in sports law.
Eligibility:
The competition is open to any
1) law students currently attending a law school in the Philippines, and
2) Filipino law students currently attending in a law school abroad.
Prize:
First place: P20,000.00
Second place: P10,000.00
Third place: P5,000.00
Top three papers will also be published in Sports Law ILC’s Sports Law Research Hub.
Submission Guidelines and Mechanics
All submissions must be novel, original, and unpublished student work that has been produced or updated after 01 January 2026. Such works could be papers written for a law school course or unpublished Juris Doctor theses. Submissions to the Sports Law ILC Student Writing Competition be submitted to any other competition (this includes any past competitions as well), and cannot be submitted for publication consideration to any publication until the review process is complete for this competition.
Submissions to this inaugural competition may focus on any Philippine sports law issue, provided the submission is novel, original, and unpublished.
To join the competition, submit a short e-mail letter of intent with your proposed topic with a brief abstract or write-up to imdingles@ilclaw.com.ph on or before 07 April 2026. To prevent duplication of topics with previous publications and to determine whether the topic is indeed novel and original, the Sports Law ILC Board will need to approve proposed paper topics. Participants will receive an e-mail regarding their proposed paper topic (and whether it has been approved or requires modifications) by 14 April 2026.
Submissions must in .doc/.docx format and must be e-mailed to imdingles@ilclaw.com.ph on or before 15 June 2026. Final submissions must be at a minimum 6,000 words and a maximum of 15,000 words, excluding footnotes and citations. All submissions must follow the Blue Book format of citations.
Authors warrant that their respective submissions are novel, original, and unpublished and have not been plagiarized in any manner. The Sports Law ILC Board reserves the right to remove any participants who violate the guidelines and mechanics.
Review Process
All submissions will be reviewed by the Sports Law ILC Board along with a Batas Sportiva editor. The submissions will be reviewed on the basis of its substance and content, writing style, form and presentation, and novelty. The winners of the competition will be notified by e-mail and also announced via social media and on the Sports Law ILC Webpage.
2025 Sports Law Student Writing Competition Winners
The Sports Law Institute and Learning Center (Sports Law ILC) congratulates the winners of the 2025 Sports Law Student Writing Competition. It was a great roster of well-written papers which will definitely push Philippine sports law forward.
First Place (P20,000.00)
Gianne Kalalo, Ateneo Law School; Changing the Narrative: A Critical Analysis of Sports Washing in the Philippines
Gianne’s first place paper explores the mechanism and consequences of sportswashing through the lens of forced displacement, environmental degradation, and labor exploitation. The paper identifies gaps in both Philippine law and implementation, concluding with calls for legal and institutional reforms to align Philippine sports practices with principles of transparency, accountability, and sustainability.
Second Place (P10,000.00)
David Casuela, Ateneo Law School; From Barangay Courts to Olympic Gold: Examining the Role of Local Governments in the Development of Philippine Sports and Providing Policy Recommendations for LGUs
David’s second place paper gives a deep dive on the Local Government Code, particularly the provisions which empower local governments to institutionalize youth leagues, incentivize student-athletes, and build sports infrastructure. The paper concludes with policy recommendations to strengthen local sports bodies, and adopt evidence-based policy designs.
Joaquin Luis Mayo, UP Law; Regulating Athlete Agents in the Philippines: Bridging the Gap in Representation Ethics and Accountability
Joaquin’s second place paper argues for a comprehensive regulatory framework for sports agents. The paper finds the current legal landscape for sports agents lacking and provides solid and practical recommendations to regulate athlete agents through licensing, oversight, and accountability.
Third Place (P5,000.00)
Patrisha Aguas, Ateneo Law School: When Fair Play Isn’t Fair: The Dilemma of Anti-Doping for Paralympians
Patrisha critiques the systemic flaws in the anti-doping regulations that disproportionately impact Paralympic athletics, pointing to the rigid enforcement of the rules and challenges of securing Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE). Using the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the paper advocates for a more inclusive and equitable anti-doping system.
Congratulations again to the winners! These papers can soon be accessed in the Sports Law ILC Research Hub. We look forward to the next batch of papers for the 2026 Sports Law Student Writing Competition. Mechanics and submission guidelines will be out on 30 January 2026.
Previous Winners
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