FASANOC INVESTS IN ATHLETES’ WELFARE
SPORTS can be a positive medium in educating the public said Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) president, Makarita Lenoa at a Safeguarding the Athlete workshop which was facilitated by Munro Leys in Suva last week.
Lenoa said the workshop was the first of its kind to involve FASANOC, national federations (NFs) and solicitors.
“There are many ills in society that can creep into sports and it is important for us to be educated on what these ills are and how best to deal with them,” Lenoa said.
She welcomed the efforts made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which is leading the safeguarding of athletes in sports.
Lenoa said without athletes there would be no sport.
“Fiji being a signatory to the convention on human rights, all NFs including FASANOC have moral, ethical and legal responsibilities towards the athletes.”
The managing partner of Munro Leys, Nicholas Barnes, said the idea for the workshop came about after a conversation with Fiji Olympian Association chairman, Carl Probert.
He said they felt a lot of work was
needed in this space.
Barnes, along with his team from Munro Leys, discussed and presented various examples of harassment and abuse in sports.
His team also went through some international cases of harassment and abuse in sports highlighting neglect by team officials, executives and fellow athletes.
He pointed out that it was important to set out policies and procedures that could be followed when complaints were received.
Barnes said it was important that FASANOC and NFs had a policy that clearly defined harassment and abuse in sports and who was protected by the policy.
“It is also important that FASANOC has a reporting procedure where athletes, officials and anyone can report harassment and abuse.
“This could include channels such as writing in, an online form, email, in-person or via telephone.”
Barnes said FASANOC or NFs should invest in training a welfare or safeguarding officer to deal with the reporting procedures.
“They will also play a central role in reporting and investigations and work with local authorities should the need arise.
“All cases of harassment and abuse should be referred through an established disciplinary procedure hence the importance of defined policies and upskilling of personnel”
He said it was important to collaborate with multiple stakeholders and ensure that an organisation’s athletesafeguarding policies, not only assisted in the reporting process, but prevented such incidences from happening in the first place.
There are many ills in society that can creep into sports and it is important for us to be educated on what there ills are and how best to deal with them.
– Makarita Lenoa