WADA president believes that the sports world should consider coalition against corruption
1 November 2007
by Kirsten Sparre
Play the Game, the fifth world communication conference on sport and society, closed its proceedings today with a call for a global coalition for good governance in sport. The call already has the backing of the outgoing WADA president, Richard Pound, who earlier in the week said that a coalition against corruption in sport is something which the sports movement should consider very seriously.
Richard Pound had accepted an invitation from Play the Game to reflect on his experiences in building up the World Anti-Doping Agency. In response to questions from conference delegates, Pound said that time has come for sport to also consider a coalition against corruption in sport more consciously and overtly than it does today.
Play the Game’s director, Jens Sejer Andersen, picked up on Richard Pound’s remark in his closing speech:
”A coalition against corruption in sport may not be possible in the world of sport of today, but it could be possible in the world of sport of tomorrow. And Richard Pound almost gave us a mandate when he said that a starting point for such a coalition could be here at Play the Game,” Andersen said before outlining some key principles for such a coalition.
A “Global Coalition for Good Governance in Sport” should
- define minimum standards for transparency, accountability and democratic procedures, standards which are to be followed by all national and international sports federations, governments, sponsors
- have administrative capacity to monitor that the minimum standards are respected
- actively encourage sports leaders and administrators, media professionals, sports researchers and other stakeholders to report irregularities
- have a legal mandate and professional expertise to investigate cases of mismanagement and corruption, including the right to search sports offices, archives etc. without prior notice
- be equipped with right to issue bans against individuals or groups who violate the global standards and suspend those who are under investigation
- be provided with a legal status that enables it to report supposed violations to national or international legal authorities for further trial
- regularly communicate its findings to the public through annual reports, conferences etc.
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