IOC Calls For Unity On Match-fixing
The International Olympic Committee is lobbying for international sports governing bodies to unite to create a central global organisation or committee to tackle the issue of match-fixing in sport.
Similarly to the role of the World Anti-Doping Agency in addressing drugs in sport, IOC president Jacques Rogge has called for sports federations to unite against the problem of match-fixing.
He said: ‘This is something we have to address. The purpose of the IOC is to have a common approach to that with all international sports federations and the national Olympic committees. This is what we did in the fight against doping.’
Rogge’s stance came following the presentation of a report from Paul Condon, former head of the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption and security unit, at the IOC’s executive committee meeting.
Rogge said Condon advised sports bodies to enforce regulations against illegal betting and match-fixing, educate and monitor through alliances with betting companies.
‘Bona fide betting companies can give us early warning of abnormal betting patterns,’ Rogge said, adding that a deal with a betting firm could be clinched before next year’s Beijing Games if it were deemed necessary.
