TOKYO, Japan – With Japan set to host major sports events such as the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and the 2019 Rugby World Cup, INTERPOL and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have organized a workshop and training on protecting the integrity of sports.
The two-day event (15 and 16 May) brought together more than 80 representatives from Japanese law enforcement, government, sports federations, the Japanese Olympic Committee, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and the Olympic movement.
International experts from the UNODC, World Rugby and Sportradar joined IOC Member Morinari Watanabe and IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer Pâquerette Girard-Zappelli as well as INTERPOL officers at the event.
The role of existing legislation, international instruments and best practices in protecting major sport events from competition manipulation, and the impact of global betting developments on sport were high on the agenda.
With organized crime networks increasingly profiting from the manipulation of sports competitions, INTERPOL also underlined the role of its Match-Fixing Task Force in protecting the integrity of sports.
Participants heard how an INTERPOL Major Event Support Team (IMEST) can be deployed to assist member countries prepare, coordinate and implement security arrangements for major international events.
The workshop was followed by an investigators training session for sports governing bodies and law enforcement agencies tasked with investigating allegations, suspicions or reports related to the manipulation of a sports competition and other breaches of sports integrity.
The training included practical scenario-based exercises designed to enhance relevant skills and assist in applying learning to the work environment. It was based on the INTERPOL-IOC Handbook on Conducting Fact-Finding Inquiries into Breaches of Sports Integrity.
Through cooperation and information sharing, a key objective of such training is for stakeholders in law enforcement, government and sports to come together and shape a global network to tackle competition manipulation and protect the integrity of major international sports events.
INTERPOL and the IOC recently expanded their joint global capacity-building and training programme until 2021 to protect the integrity of sports.
