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