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The Sports Journalists’ Association (SJA) has announced that it will be staging an Olympic-themed ‘Sporting Question Time’ on April 5 to coincide with the SportAccord Convention taking place in London.

Up to 200 of Britain’s leading sports writers and editors, plus invited guests from international federations, national governing bodies and other agencies, will be able to put topical Olympic questions to the expert international panel at the event, which is to be staged in the debating chamber of the old County Hall on the South Bank.

Panellists, who will be confirmed nearer the date, will include representatives from London 2012 organisers LOCOG, plus the International Olympic Committee, British sporting agencies, and the international media, with a top British broadcaster to act as chairman.

Lively debate is expected on a range of subjects ahead of the Games, with topics expected to be raised including ticket prices, Britain’s post-Olympic sporting legacy, Olympian budgets and drug testing.

“We are delighted to be able to stage our event alongside SportAccord as the convention is held in London for the first time,” Barry Newcombe, chairman of the SJA, said.

“Last year we staged a similar event with the sports spokesmen of the UK’s three leading political parties ahead of the General Election, and generated headlines for the rest of the week. We are sure that our Olympic Question Time will be just as newsworthy.”

The all-ticket SJA event will be free-to-enter, with priority given to media accredited to attend SportAccord.

The SportAccord Convention is held in a different city each year and features top-level conference sessions, as well as the annual general meetings of governing bodies of world sport. The convention attracts more than 1,500 leading representatives of international sport.

This year marks the first time London has hosted SportAccord.