In conversation with Dieter Braekeveld, Integrity in Sports Training Officer at INTERPOL

Protecting the integrity of sport is a team effort. The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and the IOC have partnered since 2014 to assist in the protection of sports integrity through capacity-building and training. Together, they offer tailored training courses, workshops and webinars for sports organisations, law enforcement, government agencies, betting operators and regulators to address competition manipulation and create a global network of practitioners.

We caught up with Dieter Braekeveld, Integrity in Sports Training Officer at INTERPOL, to get his views on the value of this collaboration, the joint activities to date and key achievements.

Why did INTERPOL and the IOC decide to work together on fighting competition manipulation?

Sport plays an important role in society, and it’s most important that all competitions are clean and remain unpredictable. The IOC acknowledged early on that competition manipulation is an issue that goes beyond the remit of sports organisations. The sports betting market has developed rapidly over the last few years and, with lots of money and liquidity at stake, it offers criminals an opportunity to launder money and make money on top of that by corrupting the outcome and course of sports competitions. As this constitutes a criminal activity and is international, law enforcement and INTERPOL must come into play. Our collaboration with the IOC at international level is a good example for sports organisations and law enforcement at national level to team up, and we provide the necessary training, as cooperation is needed across the board. We must understand each other’s work and mandates to form the best synergies and find solutions together.

Can you tell us more about the specific fields of collaboration?

We are addressing three areas with policing and sporting organisations: raising awareness of the threat of competition manipulation; capacity-building; and the implementation of effective procedures and mechanisms. The IOC and INTERPOL jointly organise in-person as well as online workshops around the world, and we always tailor the content to the needs of the country or the sports, the level of awareness among the key national players, the existing capacity, and also the political will to make this issue a priority. Depending on the context, we involve a variety of stakeholders, including the NOC, NFs, law enforcement, prosecutors, judicial authorities, ministries, sports betting organisations and other international organisations.

What have the greatest achievements been so far?

This is one of the longest running partnerships in the fight against competition manipulation and has reached over 4,200 participants so far. We have an increasing number of police forces and sports organisations (especially NOCs and International Federations) that have established a single point of contact. These experts in preventing competition manipulation have the skills to read and understand betting information, report, and take the appropriate steps in conducting effective investigations.

We have supported numerous countries in setting up a specific collaboration model among key stakeholders through a national platform, and have conducted joint risk assessments and developed action plans. 

Thanks to the partnership between the IOC and INTERPOL, the collaboration between sport and law enforcement has become more and more constructive and efficient over the years, with an increased level of trust between the key players and a better understanding of how they can exchange information. We work hard to support law enforcement and sports organisations in protecting sports integrity, and aim to be a knowledge expertise hub on which stakeholders can rely to get support, advice and opportunities to upskill.