On the occasion of the Kazan Grand Slam, which took place from 5th to 7th May 2021, the International Judo Federation made a strong and public commitment to fight against all forms of competition manipulation. During the event’s official draw, the information was disseminated to all participating delegations, supported by a strong message from Telma Monteiro (POR - IOC Prevention of Competition Manipulations Ambassador for Judo). This campaign towards improved awareness will be continued in the weeks and months to come.
Beyond being one of the most prestigious and universal Olympic disciplines, judo is more than sport, acknowledged also as an educational tool and a way of life, enriched by a moral code and ethical values that withstand the trials of life. It is based on that, that the IJF also created a dedicated and secure platform (including anti-doping, harassment and match fixing) to report, anonymously, any suspicious act: https://www.ijf.org/cleanjudo
Important Definition Competition manipulation is the act of intentionally altering the natural course of a match or competition, to ensure that a specific event occurs. It can take many different forms, such as an athlete intentionally losing in order to face an easier opponent in the next round of the tournament, or performing a certain action during a match to make a bet successful, for example. Not only the athletes but anyone on the field of play, like a referee or a technical official, can potentially manipulate an event. “Match-fixing,” “spot-fixing” and “tanking” are related terms which fall under the wider description of competition manipulation. It can happen in any sport and at any time. If you are persuaded, forced or bribed to underperform or to perform a specific action during a match, that is competition manipulation.
What is the responsibility of the athletes? The primary responsibilities as an athlete are to understand what competition manipulation is, respect the related rules and report suspicious behaviour. Rules for all athletes and accredited persons at the Olympic Games:
• Never bet on your own sport or any event at the Olympic Games.
• Never manipulate a competition and always do your best
• Never share inside information. Non-public information about your sport must stay private. This includes but is not limited to sharing information about health issues or sports tactics.
• Always report an approach to manipulate, or anything suspicious.
• Speak up! If you witness or suspect competition manipulation, you must report it to the IOC Integrity Hotline: https://ioc.integrityline.org/index.php
Breaching these rules makes you subject to sanctions, even if no manipulation of the competition occurred. For example, an athlete participating in the Olympic Games, betting on their own sport, can suffer disciplinary sanctions. To detect competition manipulation, Olympic events and their related betting offers are monitored live by experts in the field. The range of possible sanctions includes a sports ban, a fine, serious damage to reputation and subsequent loss of sponsors and fans and even criminal proceedings which may result in a prison sentence. Nowadays, more and more countries globally are recognising competition manipulation as a criminal offence, reflecting how serious a threat it is to the integrity of sport.
The IOC put in place several pre-Tokyo awareness-raising initiatives, such as: - Activation of IF Ambassadors - Social media campaigns - Monitored E-Learning - Educational webinars
The IJF therefore encourages athletes and coaches to participate in IOC E-learning courses that will be available in May 2021 and encourages all populations (athletes, coaches, national federations etc.) to participate in IOC webinars (average duration is 50 min, including Q&A and discussion).
Practising sport and performing in sport is about fairness and respect. The IJF and the whole judo family are committed to respecting the integrity of sport.
More information: https://olympics.com/ioc/integrity/prevention-competition-manipulation
https://olympics.com/athlete365/what-we-do/integrity/prevention-of-competition-manipulation/