Integrity in Sport

Integrity in sport is under threat from corruption including scandals, fraud, rumours and criminal investigations infiltrating various sports associations around the world. Many of these issues are caused by the manipulation of sports events for monetary gain through regular and irregular betting channels. And with the sophistication of Internet gambling networks international sports gambling has become extremely easy and accessible. Estimates on the amounts of money made through illegal betting alone run into hundreds of millions of Euros each year. The problem of match-fixing poses a danger to more than just the reputations and livelihoods of sports professionals and associations involved; with relatively little risk for criminals to be detected match-fixing has now become a global threat with large amounts of money involved used for other illegal activities.

INTERPOLs response
In May 2011, INTERPOL entered into a 10-year initiative with the Fdration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to develop and implement a global training, education and prevention programme with a focus on regular and irregular betting as well as match-fixing. To achieve this goal we launched a dedicated Integrity in Sport unit to develop and implement the training which will be the basis for the creation of a training wing within the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore. The objective of this program is to improve key individuals awareness and understanding of the phenomenon, the strategies used by its perpetrators and the methods to detect and counteract them.

Programme goals:

To educate and train key actors in football on how to recognize, resist and report attempts to corrupt or fix matches To better prepare law enforcement officers on how to investigate and cooperate in corruption or match-fixing related cases.

In order to deliver on the programme goals, INTERPOL has identified three vital areas:

Training Education Prevention

Training: to focus on the protection of the identified Key Actors by ensuring that they have undertaken certified anti-corruption training sessions and that law enforcement officers are better prepared to cooperate and share information related to these investigations. Education: to build a knowledge base on anti-corruption/match-fixing related issues (center of excellence), to provide a better understanding of the issues, and to design updated training content addressing the identified needs. This will be the basis for the delivery of training and the development of prevention strategies. Prevention: to enhance Key Actors awareness of the problem and empower them to recognize, resist and report attempts to corrupt or fix matches. The Integrity in Sport team are in the process of developing target oriented e-learning programmes which will be coupled with in-person training for the key target groups (players, referees) of match-fixers. In order to start this process and to ensure that our plans meet the real needs of the respective target groups, regional and national workshops will be hosted in a number of pilot countries to better understand the current status and possible challenges in maintaining integrity in sport. The results will form the basis for the training package.

College Sports: Should College Athletes Get Paid?

College sports function as rostrums for young athletes to move on to the next level. The answer to the question on whether or not a monetary compensation should be extended depends on the management infrastructure.

The perfect balance between academics and physical fitness during the growing years is optimized via personality development that is enhanced by the various sports activities. Schools and colleges now optimize the opportunities given to the students to participate in sports competitions. College sports not only raise the standards of achievement in physical fitness, but also enhance the overall 'ability range' of the students. This in turn leads to an overall improvement in the college environment. College athletes have become the regional focal points and promoters and ambassadors of the possible level of excellence in physical education and community sport. College sports are mediums for extending links between the various colleges and sports communities. College sports enable the young college athletes to share resources, and be a part of uniform development and good sports practice. The rostrum helps the college managements to design a structure through which the college athletes can contribute to regional progress. The young athletes get to further choose sports careers and excel in physical education. The college sports increase participation in physical education and take the potential of talented players to the next level! Should college athletes get paid? Well, the answer largely depends on the mind-set of the management and how the platform for performance is viewed. The very deep-rooted sports character and the versatility that sets in through extensive interaction with other athletes from other colleges are incomparable to any compensation package. College sports athletes are beneficiaries of the government's aspiration of producing popular regional sportsmen. Paying college athletes may or may not prove to be the best for all the young students who strive to prove themselves outside the curriculum. On one hand, if they are paid, students who really need the funds could avail of an opportunity out of the grants and concessions that are not 100% receivable due to a number of factors. These factors include the family background, availability of guarantors and even the inability to provide the minimum paperwork necessary. On the other hand, if the thought is vetoed, then there is a possibility of a

number of college athletes opting out of the proposition. The issue is a debatable one and best taken by the management and staff of the college. The various things that need to be considered while looking into whether or not college athletes should get paid include the level of physical education imparted, the commitment of the college towards sports and the club-link strategy, if applicable. The compensation could be extended via dedicated provisions and facilities that could be designed to benefit the students with sporting abilities. College sports efforts should also be designed in a way that those with the greatest potential and drive to achieve the highest standards of excellence in a particular sport are encouraged and nurtured, at the college level. College Sports: Should College Athletes Get Paid? The question is not of monetary gain, but also about alleviating college sportsmanship. The time has arrived for college managements to work with one another and develop the facilities at hand and the human resources to function as a tripod, with the athlete at the helm. Paying college athletes with a view to improving the available learning opportunities and national initiatives is a great way of spelling 'worth'. College athletes are now part of a number of specialist programs that are amply funded and rewarded by the sponsors. Leaving the choice of medals or cash prizes to the sponsors seems the best option to considering if the college athletes should be paid or not. The adolescent is no more the same as his predecessor decades ago. The awareness towards issues like these requires a forum and awareness towards the desire of college athletes to be compensated monetarily. A sound mind in an athletic body, with a complimenting monetary compensation is the mantra for the new generation college athlete!