Meet Believe in Sport ambassador Mweetwa Nchimunya Abishai!

Mweetwa from Zambia is a former professional football player and a Believe in Sport ambassador, educating peers about the threat of competition manipulation.

When he played football internationally, Mweetwa’s dream move to Europe turned into a nightmare when his performance attracted the attention of match-fixers, leading to his arrest and global ban from football. This career- and life-changing incident prompted him to prevent other sporting talents from getting trapped. Most recently, Mweetwa gave tips on how to stay true to young athletes at the Southern African Games (African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games), held in December in Malawi. We caught up with Mweetwa to learn more about his mission.

What was your motivation to become an ambassador for the prevention of competition manipulation?

Mweetwa: After my experience of manipulating games due to naivety and ignorance, and realising the lack of understanding about the issue among many other athletes, I really wanted to raise awareness about competition manipulation. Following my own serious mistakes, my aim is to help safeguard the integrity of sport and prevent other talented athletes from ruining their careers and repeating my story.

How did you help to prevent competition manipulation at the Southern African Games?

Mweetwa: I mainly worked with athletes and their entourage members to raise awareness, but also cooperated with the local organisers and security services on how to deal with potential reports.

First, I conducted educational sessions with the Chefs de Mission prior to the event, explaining to them the nature of competition manipulation and the repercussions. At the same time, I provided educational material on the topic to team managers, coaches and volunteers. During the Games, I set up a dedicated office where athletes and entourage members could report suspicions and incidents. I used this opportunity to also promote the IOC Integrity Hotline as a longer-term reporting mechanism for athletes and anybody else involved in sporting competitions.

What is your top tip to young athletes?

Mweetwa: I have two! If you recognise someone cheating, report the incident immediately; and don’t be fooled if you get approached by someone offering you lots of money. You can be certain there is no good intention, and it can only end badly for you.

You are also the single point of contact for integrity matters (SPOC) for the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Zambia. What does your work entail?

Mweetwa: I am working closely with all our National Federations (NFs) on a range of important integrity topics, for instance explaining what competition manipulation involves, sharing knowledge about the phenomenon of age cheating and the problem of abuse in sport. I also established an SPOC network for all the NFs. Each of them appointed one SPOC and they all received training. It is important to go for a systematic approach in this critical field. And we have seen positive results. For example, all the federations have adopted the necessary rules to enhance the integrity of their sports. In addition to my work with the NFs, I also conduct awareness raising competitions and talks across digital, TV, radio and print media to increase the reach. We cannot do enough! I work closely with the Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC) to ensure that I have ongoing support for my work and stand ready to deal with a case if ever it comes up.

Learn more about Mweetwa’s story here.