Prevention of Competition Manipulation in Golf
PREVENTION OF COMPETITION MANIPULATION: LEARN THE RULES, KNOW YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND REPORT!
Manipulation of Competitions
The integrity of sport depends on the outcome of sporting events and competitions being based entirely on the competing merits of the participants involved. Any form of corruption that might undermine public confidence in the integrity of a sporting contest is fundamentally contrary to the spirit of sport and must be eradicated at all costs.
The IGF is committed to the integrity of sport and the fight against the manipulation of competitions by adhering to the standards set out in the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions and by requiring its members to do likewise.
What is Competition Manipulation in Sport?
Competition manipulation is an intentional arrangement aimed at improperly changing the result or the course of a sports competition, to remove all or part of the unpredictable nature of the sports competition with a view to obtaining an undue benefit for oneself or others.
Competition manipulation occurs when a participant(s) in a sports competition (an athlete, athlete support personnel, official, referee, judge, etc.) cheats to remove the unpredictability of a competition. The participant knowingly underperforms or deliberately makes wrongful decisions affecting the result or course of a competition, which is entirely against the Olympic spirit. The reason behind such an action would be either to gain a sporting advantage (e.g. facing an easier opponent in the 2nd round of a tournament) or to gain a financial benefit, notably linked to sports betting.
What is competition manipulation?
Why people manipulate competition ?
In order to best fight against competition manipulation, the International Golf Federation has adopted the IGF Code on the prevention of the manipulation of competitions in line with the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions. Breaches of the IGF Code on the prevention of the manipulation of competitions and the Olympic Movement Code can result in severe damage to your reputation and to the sport of golf, and moreover lead to disciplinary sanctions and criminal sanctions.
Breaches include:
- Betting on one’s sport and/or on the sports event in which you are a participant
- Competition manipulation
- Sharing of inside information
- Corrupt conduct
- Failure to cooperate
- Failure to report
If such a breach is identified, there will be disciplinary proceedings which could lead to disciplinary sanctions for the sportspersons involved.
Reporting a Concern
| ALWAYS REPORT & CONTRIBUTE TO PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF GOLF |
Relevant breaches of the Code not only undermine the credibility of your sport, but also the credibility of the overall sports movement and all athletes. It is therefore not only a responsibility, but also a moral duty of all of us to report anything that comes to our attention and looks suspicious. It is our right and obligation to contribute to protecting the moral integrity of our fellow athletes and our sport by reporting in a secure manner any potential breach that comes to our attention at your earliest opportunity.
The Whistleblowing Channel
The Whistleblowing Channel can be used to:
- Report suspicious approaches or activities related to competition manipulation;
- Report incidences of harassment and abuse;
- Report infringements of the IGF Code of Ethics or other matters, including financial misconduct or other legal, regulatory and ethical breaches over which the IGF has jurisdiction.
To report an incidence or suspicion of competition manipulation, you can use the IGF Whistleblowing Channel:
Please use the IGF Whistleblowing Form and send it along with any additional information you wish to provide by email to the Head of IGF Integrity Unit at integrity@igfmail.org.
Important considerations before reporting via this Channel:
- Please read further details on the process in Measures of Protection and the Process the IGF will Undertake Following an Integrity Report and the IGF Privacy Policy.
- Confidentiality: Your identity will not be disclosed to persons beyond those responsible for investigating your report, without your explicit consent.
- Anonymity: Any person can request to stay anonymous and such request will be respected by the IGF. However, we encourage that personal information is disclosed to enable appropriate follow-up.
The IOC Integrity Hotline is also accessible for anyone at any time to confidentially report and anonymously report any suspicious actions that have come to your attention: www.olympic.org/integrityhotline
Anyone from the Golf Community can use the mechanism as mentioned above to report any suspicious activities related to competition manipulation and/or any breaches of the rules.
Resources
A series of integrity tools and documents have been developed to assist national and professional members, athletes, coaches, support personnel, administrators and/or relevant participants or stakeholders to comply with the IGF Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions. They are available below for free download.
Policy & Toolbox