The national oil companies and the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have intensified their efforts to strengthen sports integrity in the face of the growing risk of competition manipulation. In a global context where sport continues to be a social and cultural force of great impact, various organizations are reinforcing their preventive mechanisms and expanding collaboration with public and private actors to safeguard transparency and fairness in competition.
In this regard, recent initiatives reflect a renewed commitment to better understand the threats, share experiences, and create cooperation opportunities that allow this issue to be addressed from a broader perspective. From regional workshops to national forums, the conversation on sports integrity is reaching new spaces and actors, consolidating a network aimed at anticipating risks and strengthening capacities.
Regional cooperation and shared learning
On 12 November, a joint workshop was held in Abu Dhabi under the IOC’s Integrity in Sport Initiative and INTERPOL, bringing together nearly 50 representatives from NOCs, law enforcement bodies, and state authorities from six countries in the Persian Gulf and South Asia: United Arab Emirates, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The meeting enabled participants to deepen their understanding of competition manipulation, analyze recent cases, and discuss how to strengthen their national action frameworks.
In addition to the workshop, participants had the opportunity to attend the Annual Meeting of the INTERPOL Match-Fixing Task Force (IMFTF), a platform that brings together experts from INTERPOL’s global police network specializing in combating sports manipulation. This gathering facilitated a more technical and operational exchange, allowing participants to explore new tools and strategies that could be adapted to each country’s context.
Multisectoral momentum and new national initiatives
In parallel, the Brazilian National Olympic Committee held the 2nd Safe Sport Forum on 12 October, bringing together sports organizations, government authorities, law enforcement agencies, and representatives from the betting sector. The main goal was to raise awareness about competition manipulation and promote broader cooperation to address this growing challenge, integrating perspectives that range from athlete protection to the regulation of the digital environment.
The Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC) played an active role in the forum, presenting its ongoing support work for NOCs and highlighting the importance of accessing available resources within the Olympic Movement. In the same line, ANOC continues encouraging National Olympic Committees around the world to strengthen their integrity frameworks through collaborative work and the use of shared tools.
