IOC and International Federations join forces to tackle competition manipulation

Nearly 50 representatives from 37 International Federations (IFs) came together at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 16 May 2023 for a workshop to share information and exchange knowledge on how to prevent competition manipulation at sports competitions. Organised by the Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC), the meeting focused on the three main pillars of the Unit’s strategy: regulation and legislation, awareness-raising and capacity-building, and intelligence and investigations. The IFs also received an update on related activities in the lead-up to Paris 2024. Read more.

Urvasi Naidoo, the new integrity expert at World Sailing, said after the workshop: “This IF workshop was an excellent opportunity for all of us to further understand the topic, network and exchange best practices. As a new IF integrity expert, I am looking forward to working closely with the OM Unit PMC to do what I can to protect the integrity of sailing.”

Fellow IF colleague Stephan Smith from World Rugby, who also took on his role within his federation only recently, said: “The IF workshop organised by the OM Unit PMC was really helpful for me to clearly understand all the requirements and support available. Notably with the Rugby World Cup fast approaching, this was of great help to prepare from both a regulatory educational and intelligence perspective.”

Following the meeting, several IFs were quick to take immediate measures. For instance, theWorld Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) revised its Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions Rules and called on its National Federations (NFs) to implement them at national level.