Europe took center stage on day 4 of the Sport Integrity Week 2024, with engaging events hosted across the continent by our dedicated members. As the final day of Cityscape Global 2024 unfolded in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, SIGA members delivered insightful discussions and presentations, emphasizing the value of integrity in sport.
Starting from the United Kingdom, EPIC Global Solutions, a proud SIGA member, hosted an impactful webinar titled “How Gambling Harm Education Programmes Maintain Sporting Integrity.”
This vital conversation featured Greg Swift, Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs at the British Horseracing Authority; Martin Bland, SVP Commercial at EPIC Global Solutions; and Scott Davies, Associate at EPIC Global Solutions. Together, they explored the role of gambling harm education in safeguarding the integrity of sport and shared practical approaches to minimize gambling addiction’s associated risks.
In Portugal, another active SIGA member, the Portuguese National Association of Football Executives (ANDIF), hosted a well-received webinar moderated by Jerry Silva. The session, focused on “Ethics and Integrity in Modern Sport,” featured insights from Pedro Berjano de Oliveira, lawyer and member of various sports arbitration committees. Although guest speaker Alexandre Mestre could not attend due to health reasons, the discussion was spirited and emphasized SIGA’s mission to uphold integrity across all levels of sport. The participants echoed a common sentiment: while the challenges posed by unethical practices are enormous, no effort to promote integrity is ever too small.
The day concluded in the Azores with the Integrity Symposium hosted by the Ponta Delgada Football Association, another esteemed SIGA member. Held in Ponta Delgada, this event brought together local sports leaders and featured two critical panel discussions:
- Panel 1: Challenges of Sport in the Autonomous Region of the Azores
Panelists included Pedro Bermonte, Technical Coordinator of the Ponta Delgada FA; Bruno França, President of the Azorean Judo Association; Jorge Mota, Technical Coordinator of São Miguel Volleyball Association; and Paulo Videira, Technical Coordinator of the Azores Tennis Association. They discussed unique regional challenges and opportunities for fostering sport integrity in the Azores. - Panel 2: Sports Betting and Match-Fixing
Speakers included Bernardo Oliveira Neves, Secretary-General of APAJO, and Miguel Pinho, lawyer at the Portuguese FA’s Integrity and Compliance Unit. The panel delved into the pressing issues of sports betting integrity and the fight against match-fixing, sharing insights on proactive measures being adopted within the industry.
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ABOUT SIGA
SIGA is the world’s leading organisation for Sport Integrity. We are creating a whole new landscape for the sports industry by delivering independent global rating and certification for world Sport to ensure it is governed and operates under the highest integrity standards: The SIGA Universal Standards.
Funded by our Members, SIGA is a non for profit global independent organisation with one aim: To ensure the sport industry is governed under the highest integrity standards so that the values of sport are protected.
SIGA is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.
SIGA is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a non for-profit association, and comprises of the following continental subsidiaries: SIGA AMERICA, SIGA EUROPE and SIGA LATIN AMERICA.
For more information on SIGA, including its vision, mission and reform agenda, please refer to the website: www.siga-sport.com and FAQs.
To contact SIGA, please email: [email protected].
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