Sports chiefs from around the world meet in London to tackle corruption

LONDON: More than 100 government ministers from around the world gathered here on Thursday for a major summit as part of the global fight against corruption in sports.

They were joined by delegates from international sports organisations and experts from around the world to reaffirm the global commitment to tackling corruption in sport, reports Xinhua news agency. Attendees at the three-day summit include representatives from the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association, Interpol and the Commonwealth Games Federation. Delegates at the International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS) met to discuss how to manage conflicts of interest in awarding major sporting events to ensure the process is fair and transparent. They will also develop tools to prevent corruption around procurement at sports events and the way infrastructure contracts are awarded.

Britain’s Culture and Sport Secretary, Jeremy Wright, said: “Today’s event is another important step in the ongoing fight to eliminate corruption from sport. Every fan and athlete should have faith that contracts are fairly awarded, events are given to the strongest bid and the highest standards of governance are being upheld.” The event has been co-ordinated by a Core Group of partners including the Council of Europe, the IOC, the Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD), the UK Government, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), IPACS consists of a Steering Committee composed of governments, sports organisations and intergovernmental organisations.

Thomas Bach, president of the IOC, said: “The IOC remains committed to fight corruption in sport at all levels. Integrity entails credibility, and corruption threatens the very credibility of sports organisations as well as competitions. We know we cannot win this fight alone, but need the support of governments when it comes to anticorruption legislation and law enforcement.”