February 12 – Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros does not mince his worlds when it comes to issues of sports integrity. More needs to be done, it needs to be done now and these are non-negotiable conditions. For de Medeiros, tackling matchfixing is very firmly in the middle of that mix of integrity issues globally that have to be addressed.
The new (and first) chief executive of SIGA – the fast growing Sport Integrity Global Alliance – is speaking at the Tackling Matchfixing conference in Chelsea, London, on March 9-10 on a panel that will ask the question: Are we doing enough to fight matchfixing? Can we do more?
The panel, moderated by Michele Bernasconi, CAS arbitrator and partner at law firm Baer & Karrer, also includes Yves Le Lostecque, the head of the sport unit, directorate-general for education, youth, sport and culture, European Commission; Prof. Massimo Coccia, CAS arbitrator; and Theo van Seggelen, secretary general at FIFPro.
De Medeiros believes that it is not just about doing more but rather how you do more as part of a wider range of support for and expectation of greater sporting integrity.
SIGA has built what it calls its Universal Standards around four pillars: Good governance, financial integrity, youth development and protection of minors, and Sports betting integrity. “You can’t solve one problem without tackling the whole problem,” he says. “Match-fixing is about organised crime but what is really being done. Where are we in terms of the Macolin convention in terms of implementation? What are we doing about criminal infiltration of sport and how does this relate to financial integrity and the vast issue of club ownership. How do we protect vulnerable players and clubs?”
Looking at it through de Medeiros’ eyes it is a daunting task but it is one that can’t be avoided and his vision is that SIGA is going to be powerful part of that solution. Working with multiple and diverse stakeholders at SIGA, de Medieros has built an increasingly active lobby towards that end.
Tackling Matchfixing is the first conference dedicated exclusively to match manipulation and betting related match-fixing and will address the biggest and most challenging issue threatening sport from a legal, crime fighting and criminal perspective.
The speaker line up includes special presentations on their approaches to matchfixing from CAS, FIFA and UEFA, as well as comment from leading lawyers and CAS arbitrators in the area.
For the full schedule and list of speakers go to www.tacklingmatchfixing.com
Early bird registrations are still available priced £395 + VAT. The full price for the conference is £495 + VAT.
The conference is being held at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel in London, with the entry fee including the gala dinner at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge Stadium on March 9.
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