By Paul Nicholson in New York
November 3 – In his opening remarks at the Securing Sport 2015 conference in New York, ICSS President Mohammed Hanzab (pictured) issued a call to action to organisations around the world to speed up the fight against sport corruption.
Hanzab said that corruption in sport is a virus that has spread throughout sports, leagues and federations. “We know the diagnosis, now we need the cure,” he said. “We have a profound responsibility to protect sport.”
But he also said that he had “no illusions about the size and scope of the problem,” but “that the time for small fixes is over… The public will not be satisfied with cosmetic fixes.”
Highlighting a number of key areas, he called for ministers and law enforcement agencies to be more accountable and to take greater responsibility to combat sport corruption. “Serious and significant action is needed to address growing involvement of organised crime in sport,” said Hanzab.
Hanzab’s message was picked up by ICSS CEO Europe and Latin America Emanuel Medeiros, who said that the “mother of all problems facing sport is greed, human greed, for power, money and fame…Greed is eating the soul and essence of sport we love.”
Medeiros continued the medical theme saying: “We are witnessing an epidemic. Sport is not just in trouble, it is in the midst of catastrophe…but the problems are too big, serious, complex, to be faced by sport alone…It is time to think bigger. Sport own the problem but also owns the solutions. We need a new culture, not just a new leadership.”
The newness should be provided for the sports industry in a “new independent space where parties can come together. A space with zero tolerance for corruption. A space to set universal standards.”
Medeiros said there was a need for an international global integrity body for sport and a commitment to create global solutions.
He said that talks had taken place this week that pushed this concept along and that there was real excitement for the creation of a sport integrity global alliance of NGOs, governments, sports and federations.
While the creation of a physical body to fulfill this role may be some way off, the emergence of stakeholders with an understanding of the requirement and a willingness to act is a step forward.
ICSS has become a lead player in this global integrity concept and while it might not ultimately become the body that assumes this role, certainly it can be expected to bring expertise and solutions.
“Who can now decide to make a humble contribution (to this concept),” asked Medeiros.
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