WBSC’s work on the Prevention of Competition Manipulation used as best practice example during IOC Workshop

WBSC’s work on the Prevention of Competition Manipulation used as best practice example during IOC Workshop
17/05/2023
The protection of the integrity of baseball and softball was also showcased among IF Best Practices during the IOC SPOC Workshop.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) gave a presentation on its rigorous efforts to prevent competition manipulation to fellow International Sports Federations (IFs) as part of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC’s) IF Single Point of Contact (SPOC) Workshop on Tuesday.

WBSC Chief Operation Officer Marco Ienna, who also serves as the WBSC’s SPOC and supervises the activities of the Integrity Unit, delivered an impactful presentation as part of the IF Best Practices segment. His presentation focused on the WBSC's robust education campaign and comprehensive webinars and e-learning programmes, which have been made mandatory for athletes, entourage, Technical Officials and staff in preparation of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and WBSC World Cups.

The WBSC, in its commitment to upholding fair play and sportsmanship, adopted the Prevention of Competition Manipulation (PMC) Code in 2021, replacing the Sport Betting By-Laws that had been in effect since 2017.

Recognising the particular risk associated with baseball and softball competitions, especially with major events such as the Olympic Games, the WBSC embarked on a comprehensive education campaign for Tokyo 2020.

As part of this effort, the WBSC appointed ambassadors, who played a crucial role in disseminating the PMC message across men's and women’s baseball, softball and Baseball5.

Together with the IOC, the WBSC also organised a two-part series of webinars about competition manipulation, one for Games Officials and one for athletes and their entourage. Held in English, simultaneous translation was available in Spanish for the webinars which were open to all interested National Federations. Additionally, the WBSC successfully conducted two education sessions during official meetings, further enhancing awareness and understanding of the PMC Code.

Protecting the integrity of the game is one of the WBSC’s top priorities, with a dedicated section on PMC featured on the WBSC website. To strengthen the education process, the WBSC also incorporated the IOC's online course into its teachings.

Umpires, scorers and technical officials who completed the course were required to sign a waiver, declaring their commitment to adhering to the code of conduct and their comprehension of the principles outlined in the PMC Code.

The WBSC remains committed to proactively tackling competition manipulation and exploring further ways in which it can educate the global baseball and softball community and ensure a level playing field for all.