By Will Shand, Johannesburg, South Africa, April 19, 2012: The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), the international organization that aims to enhance safety, security and integrity in the world of sport, today took part in the ‘How to Achieve Security Management’ panel at the 2012 African Football Executive Confex, Africa’s leading football business conference.
As part of its mission to share knowledge and best practice in the fields of sport safety, security and integrity, Mohammed Hanzab (President of the ICSS) and Heinz Palme (Director of Business Development, ICSS and former member of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™) discussed the successes and learnings from the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ and reflected on why Africa is a special host, as well as outlining the ICSS’s mission and expertise and the importance of integrating security in the design and planning process at an early stage.
Mohammed Hanzab, President of the ICSS, said: “The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ showed that Africa is capable of staging safe and secure major sporting events. With an increasing number of nations deciding to take up the responsibility of hosting major sporting events, the ICSS aims to share knowledge and further develop organizational standards through its unique global network of safety, security and integrity practitioners.”
Heinz Palme, Director of Business Development, ICSS, said: “Following my time at the Local Organizing Committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, I am delighted to be a part of this year’s conference and to show our support for the African Football Community. As an international organisation, the ICSS not only advises organizing committees and bidding nations on sport security issues, but also proactively funds studies to explore the reasons for violence and misbehavior during sporting events. I look forward to working with my African colleagues over the coming months to share best practice and knowledge and ultimately make the world of sport a safer, more secure place.”
The African Football Executive Confex 2012 South Africa, part of the African Football Executive Summit series, brings together leading executives from African football, including Dr. Danny Jordaan (Vice-President, SA Football Association), Dr. Molefi Nathaniel Oliphant (Honorary Life President, SAFA Vice President & Executive Member, Confederation of African Football (CAF)), Dr. Robin Petersen (CEO, South African Football Association) and Stan Matthews (CEO, Premier Soccer League – South Africa). This year’s conference discussed critical issues currently facing decision makers in African football including the need for continued investment in African football following the success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.
ABOUT THE ICSS:
The ICSS is an international, not-for-profit institution that aims to help event organizers to stage safer major sporting events. The Centre’s mission is to enhance security and integrity in the world of sport by proactively addressing real issues and providing best-in-class training, research and tailored advice.
The ICSS team brings together some of the world’s leading sport security and integrity experts and has access to a worldwide network of specialist practitioners, offering expertise in every aspect of sport security and integrity.
The ICSS is based in Doha, Qatar, an emerging centre for global sporting events including the 2006 Asian Games, the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™ the 2011 Pan Arab Games and the 2022 FIFA World Cup™.
The organization recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee to collaborate on safety and security planning, capabilities and infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™.
At the 2nd International Sport Security Conference, that took place on the 14 – 15 March 2012, the ICSS announced partnerships with two leading academic institutions to help tackle the emerging threat of match fixing and extreme behaviour exhibited by sports fans.
As part of the ICSS’s partnership agreement with Université Paris I – Panthéon-Sorbonne, the two organizations will oversee the creation of a new central hub for gathering knowledge with international sporting federations to promote and support global sporting integrity.
In addition to this historic agreement, the ICSS has signed an MOU with the Institute for Fan Culture (IfF), a new academic institution led by Professor Harald Lange (Dept. of Sport Science at the Julius Maximilian University, Würzburg) and Co-Founder Martin Thein. The MOU will examine why fans exhibit extreme behaviour within a sporting environment, and what can be done to proactively reduce such behaviour at sporting events.
The ICSS regularly organizes events to encourage the creation of sport security and integrity networks and to drive new thinking. Further details will be announced shortly about the 3rd International Sport Security Conference, taking place in 2013. For more details please visit: www.theicss.org
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