In times when sport faces challenges that go beyond physical performance, integrity has become the value that sustains the trust of athletes, fans, and entire communities. With this purpose, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and INTERPOL reinforced their shared commitment by organizing a regional workshop in Panama on October 1 and 2. This event, part of the Global Capacity-Building and Training Programme, brought together representatives from National Olympic Committees, public authorities, and law enforcement agencies from the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad and Tobago.
During the opening, Damaris Young, IOC member and president of the National Olympic Committee of Panama, emphasized the importance of maintaining a common front to preserve the purity of competitions. Her message was a call to protect the essence of sport: the honest pursuit of excellence, where effort and merit prevail over any attempt at manipulation or corruption.
A space for dialogue to strengthen cooperation
The workshop became much more than a training session: it was a meeting point where sport and justice came together. The sessions provided a platform for dialogue, the exchange of experiences, and reflection on mechanisms to prevent competition manipulation. Representatives from each country shared the challenges they face and the strategies they have implemented, understanding that protecting fair play requires not only rules but also ethical commitment and joint work.
Cooperation between sports institutions and public authorities emerged as a fundamental pillar. Every conversation, every example shared, reinforced the idea that no organization can face this global challenge alone. The workshop promoted a more integrated vision in which vigilance, education, and international collaboration combine to ensure that the sporting spirit remains incorruptible.
Toward a regional framework for sports integrity
The participants worked in country groups to design concrete actions to strengthen national cooperation frameworks. From creating response protocols to training in the early detection of irregularities, the goal was to build tools that anticipate and respond to potential threats to the transparency of competitions. The synergy achieved reflected the collective will to consolidate a regional network committed to integrity.
This progress represents not only a technical step but also a symbolic one: it shows that across the Americas there is a community determined to defend the values sport upholds. The workshop marked a milestone in the search for shared solutions and opened the door to further collaborations. National Olympic Committees interested in continuing this work can contact the Olympic Movement Unit for the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC), thereby strengthening the commitment to protect the truth of sport.
