London, England, Oct 7, 2014: Securing Sport 2014 has concluded today in London following a lively two-day event that saw some of the highest-profile names in world sport come together under the theme of ‘Sport under threat: the Game is ours to Win’.
Sebastian Coe
On the final day of the conference, Sebastian Coe (Chair, British Olympic Association and Vice-President of the International Association of Athletics Federations) drew on his knowledge as former head of the London 2012 bid and organising committee to offer his thoughts on protecting sporting events in Striving for Success in Major Events.
Lord Coe said: “I’m surprised that it’s only relatively recently that the world of sport confronted the concept that fair play is not a concept solely rooted in the field of play. Whatever federation it is, whatever sporting organisation, all the corporate governance in the world is not going to save you from excesses unless you also have, critically, the culture of integrity and doing things the right way from the very top of the organisation.”
“If sport in the 20th century was about connecting with the world then I think the big challenge in the 21st century is connecting with young people. I think sport is uniquely placed to do that.
“The one thing that is not being talked about is the cataclysmic collapse of trust particularly amongst people from the age of 30 down. Young people now sit in the moral hot spot of most of the big issues out there. They are more demanding and want to see more from sport and so connecting with young people and reasserting the values of sport in a modern environment and making the big organisations like the IOC, the IAAF and FIFA relevant in their lives is the big challenge.”
Franz Beckenbauer
Speaking on the need to combat corruption in football in the opening session of the day entitled, Building the Hopes of a Nation: a Changing Modern World of Leadership, football icon Franz Beckenbauer (Chair, 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany LOC) said: “There will always be dangers as long as there are human beings…corruption, match-fixing or whatever.
“The systems the criminals use are usually one step ahead, it’s really difficult to catch them and you need to be careful. You need collaboration with leagues, with clubs, together with the politicians, together with the police and the international police in order to prevent these dangers, to immediately catch them and then punish them. The only possibility is to be vigilant and if you find anything where you think there could be corruption then you need to report it immediately.
“To stabilise football further you need to guarantee security as a whole; match-fixing, corruption and everything that is included in this as well as security in the stadium.”
On the transparency of FIFA’s Garcia Report into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process: “As soon as there is no information there will be speculation and rumours and this speculation will be negative. And I think if you have finished a report and handed it in then you should, as quickly as possible, assess the report and come to a result.
“I see no reason not to publish it but this is what FIFA has to decide, there is an Executive Committee that makes all these important decisions. But for me personally, there shouldn’t be anything to hide and if you don’t have anything to hide, then you can publish it.”
‘Save the Dream’ Gala Dinner
Youth empowerment was a key theme of this year’s ‘Save the Dream’ Gala dinner which took place at Banqueting House in London last night.‘Save the Dream’ is a joint initiative of the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) and the Qatar Olympic Committee aimed at promoting and protecting the purity of sport and its values, for the benefit of younger generations.
Footballer Nicole Regnier, UNICEF Colombia National Ambassador, who spoke during the dinner, reminded individuals and organisations about their shared responsibility to guarantee the right to play: “Wouldn’t it be amazing if all children could play and practice sports in a safe and inclusive way? This goal would be easier to achieve if every athlete, sports fan and minister of sport would team up to commit to this goal.”
The Cost to Our Children
Keeping to the theme of youth, the final panel of the day, The Cost to our Children: Exposing the Realities of Hosting Major Sporting,examined the impact major sporting events have on children. Panellists discussed specific examples of youth exploitation in sport and instructed delegates on how to avoid profiteering from the vulnerable.
Speaking of the panel Susan Bissell, UNICEF’s Chief of Child Protection, said: “Sport can be an incredibly powerful force in children’s lives, and it can help them learn and practice discipline, fair play and team work.
“But we know sport is not immune to the violence engrained in our societies, and that children too often face harassment, excessive pressure and abuse. Preventing and responding appropriately to this violence is essential to protecting our children and preserving the intrinsic value of sport.”
Gary Stahl, representative of UNICEF Brazil, said: “Sports mega events pose challenges and opportunities for the protection of children and adolescents against violence. The preparatory work conducted by the Brazilian government, UNICEF and partners in advance of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil has shown that these events can be an opportunity to strengthen national child protection systems”
Closing Remarks
Mohammed Hanzab, President of the ICSS, said in his closing remarks: “Once again, Securing Sport has brought together the world’s leaders in sport safety, security and integrity to confront issues like the financial integrity of sport, match-fixing and illegal betting, transparency and child welfare in order to protect sport’s credibility.
“It is crucial that we work together to combat the unprecedented threat facing sport. Strong leadership, determination and collaboration are now vital if we are to secure the ongoing safety, security and integrity of sport.”
About Securing Sport 2014
Securing Sport 2014, the leading international sport security and integrity conference hosted by the ICSS, has brought together 200 international experts and stakeholders to share knowledge and best practice in sport safety, security and integrity under the theme of “Sport under Threat: the Game is ours to Win”.
High-profile speakers and leading figures involved in the conference include:
• Franz Beckenbauer (Chair, 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany LOC)
• Sebastian Coe (Chair, British Olympic Association and Vice-President of the International Association of Athletics Federations)
• David Howman (Director-General, World Anti-Doping Agency)
• Franz Beckenbauer (Chair, 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany LOC)
• Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros (Chief Executive, ICSS Europe)
• Umberto Gandini (Vice President, European Club Association / Director AC Milan)
• Kimberley Morris (Head of Integrity and Compliance, FIFA TMS)
• Javier Tebas (President of Spanish La Liga)
• Bobby Barnes (President of FIFPro Europe/ Deputy CEO of the English Professional Footballers Association)
• Barry Hearn (Chairman, World Snooker)
• Michael Hershman (Founder of Transparency International)
• Jane Lute (Former US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security)
• Richard Serino (Deputy Administrator, US Federal Emergency Management Agency)
• José Ramos-Horta (Head of the UN Integrated Peace Building Office and Nobel Peace Prize winner)
• Susan Bissell (Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF)
• Anne Tiivas (Director, NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit)
• Gary Stahl (Representative, UNICEF Brazil)
Attending organisations include:
• United Nations
• UNICEF
• World Anti-Doping Agency
• INTERPOL
• The Sorbonne
• UNESCO
• FIFA
• UEFA
• European Clubs Association
• 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy
• La Liga
• International Association of Athletics Federations
• International Ski Federation
• World Snooker
• British Olympic Organisation
• Transparency International
• Commonwealth Secretariat
• CONCACAF
• NSPCC
• England & Wales Cricket Board. —- By Will Shand
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