Transparency International Limited on Thursday, February 25 released a detailed report in Kampala, Uganda highlighting the trend of global corruption and means to avert the vice among sports.
Releasing the official report which was earlier published on February 25 last year, Elena Panficore, the Vice Chairperson of Transparency International told the media at Hotel Africana in Kampala, sport deserves fair winning, free of all sorts of corruption.
I condemn corruption in sports which takes various shapes. It degrades the reputation of sports.
An indepth report entitled ‘Global Corruption Report: Sport and Results of new poll on fan distrust of FIFA’ indicated how sport had become so corrupt, suggesting remedies to tame the deadly vice.
The report indicates that there is no hope lost even at a time scandals continue to rock global sports.
Editor of the “Global Corruption Report: Sport”, Gareth Sweeney adds;
Public trust will be only be restored in FIFA, the IAAF and the world of sport is large scale reforms are not only implemented, but seen to be implemented transparently. We expect real and irreversible change in 2016.
Managing director of Transparency International is quoted in the report;
As fans, we have a love affair with football. When our teams win we are ecstatic, when they lose we are devastated, But when results – whether of games, or rights for hosting events, elections, etc – are driven not by fair competition, but by corruption, we feel betrayed.
Together with the Transparency International Uganda Chapter, the global watch dog body is spreading the gospel of fairness across the divide.
A day before the Kampala report was released, a similar report was launched at the neigbouring Rwanda.
Elena stresses;
The biggest weapon to fight corruption in sports is investigative journalism which exposes the dirt swept underneath. We are against doping in sports, match fixing, drug abuse, bribery, human trafficking and all sorts of ill mannerisms associated therein
The report highlights practicable solutions to curbing the vice of corruption in sports calling for total independence of sports federations, law enforcement to implement the offenders, participation of all stake holders.
