Protecting the World of Sports From Corruption | Alejandro Escarra Gill | Barcelona, Spain
By: Alejandro Escarrá Gil
Tags: Sports Management, Sports Corruption, Sports, Alejandro Escarra Gil, Corruption

Corruption in sports has long been a concern, with countless investigations and studies into the world to prove this very fact. Unfortunately, the corruption has only gotten worse as of late. Dozens of organizations (International Olympic Committee, The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, etc.) warned that Covid-19 would make sports more vulnerable to corruption. Specifically, there would be an increase in match-fixing, money-laundering, transnational crime, and other forms of corruption.

In order to counter the rise in corruption, as well as bring down the overall levels, specific measures must be taken. More importantly, they must be enacted soon, with the same standard being held across the world.

Creating Alternatives To International Sports Federations

The sad truth is that International Sports Federations are especially prone to corruption. It’s almost become a running joke for the civilians watching on the sidelines, which is never a good sign.

The natural counter to International Sports Federations is to provide alternatives. The International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS) is one organization fighting against corruption and working hard to provide those alternatives.

INDER’s goal is to make all sports accessible and approachable for all. They send coaches abroad, offer scholarships, and help to drive community interest and involvement. All things that International Sports Federations routinely fail to do.

Supporting Investigations and Transparency

Across the world, different law enforcement agencies have started to take a closer look at sports and the corruption that lurks within. They are collecting and reporting data, which in turn can help stop and eventually prevent these forms of corruption from continuing.

Thus, it is vital that these organizations have proper financial support. The research they turn up will reveal how bad the problem truly is while establishing a framework for future investigative policies. Ideally, there will come the point where there is one international organization that helps to maintain all of these policies, creating a worldwide standard.

Furthermore, the industry as a whole needs to create a way to encourage the reporting of corruption. Having a safe way to do so can stop these crimes before they snowball any further. This is where transparency comes into play.

The Creation of New Legislation

The United Nations of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has several recommendations on how to help stop and prevent crime and corruption in sports. Among those recommendations is the creation of specific legislation in regards to competitions and sports.

More specifically, it’s important to evaluate the current policies, both now and periodically in the future. It’s important to ensure that the laws are keeping up with current standards and expectations while also providing support to the agencies in charge of controlling the problem.

Article originally published on alejandroescarragil.org