The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) has expanded its ambassador program with the addition of four new SIGA champions. This significant addition was made on the sidelines of Sport Integrity Week at Cityscape Global 2024, bringing the group to a total of 23 athletes and coaches.
The new ‘champions’ FOLLOW
The new SIGA Champions are:
- Gilberto Silva (Brazil): Former FIFA World Cup champion with Brazil and Premier League star with Arsenal, has focused on youth development and community support, emphasizing education and health in his initiatives.
- Nicola Innocentin (Italy): An international football executive and founder of Global Football Service, Innocentin promotes athlete health through UNBEATABLES, raising awareness about heart health.
- Sol Campbell (England): Known for his legendary career as a defender for the England national team and clubs such as Arsenal, Sol Campbell is an advocate for inclusion and actively combats racism in sport.
The new champions, with distinguished careers in international football, will use their influence to advance SIGA’s reform agenda in Sports Integrity.
Appointment of new champions
The appointment was highlighted by SIGA Champion, Louis Saha, former French National Team and Manchester United athlete. He highlighted the crucial importance of athletes in promoting positive transformations in sport.
Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, Global CEO of SIGA, welcomed the new champions. “These exceptional athletes bring not only impressive careers, but a deep commitment to Integrity in Sport.
As SIGA Champions, they will use their beliefs, experiences and platforms to demonstrate and promote the broad and beneficial results of ensuring that sport is played, governed and operated with the highest levels of integrity.
Through their interventions, actions and powerful voices, these Integrity Champions will amplify the fundamental principles that are enshrined in SIGA’s mission and vision and help deliver our vision for Sport, ensuring it is inclusive, accessible, sustainable and successful. We are honored to have them join our cause at such a crucial time for integrity in sport.”
Focus on youth development
Gilberto Silva highlighted: “As a former player and now dedicated advocate for youth development, I see firsthand how essential integrity is at every stage of a young athlete’s journey. Sport has the unique power to inspire and transform, and it is our duty to protect it from any form of harm or exploitation.”
“Through SIGA and my own initiatives with Striver, I am committed to creating a safe space free from abuse and promoting education and health, ensuring that young people have the opportunity to reach their full potential in an environment founded on respect and integrity” , he completed.
Athletes’ health
Nicola Innocentin said: “The welfare and safety of athletes is paramount, especially when it comes to protecting them against health risks such as sudden cardiac arrest.”
“Through my work at UNBEATABLES, I am dedicated to increasing awareness and education about heart health while ensuring athletes receive the support they need.
“As a SIGA Champion, I am committed to bringing health-focused integrity to the forefront, advocating for safe sporting environments that prioritize athlete health and promote sustainable growth for the future of sport,” he said.
Fight against racism
Sol Campbell reaffirmed: “Football is a universal language, a source of pride and a global stage for unity. However, in recent years, racism and discrimination have continued to cast a shadow over the sport, compromising the integrity of the game and alienating individuals who deserve equal respect and opportunity.”
“Racism in football is not just an attack on individuals, but a threat to the spirit of respect, unity and fair play that sports embodies. My commitment to this fight is rooted in my core belief in Integrity in Sport.
Football, at its best, is a platform for unity, where every individual is valued and every fan feels a sense of belonging. Racism, prejudice and exclusion contradict the very essence of the game and deny individuals the opportunity to fully participate,” he concluded.
SIGA Champions
The new SIGA Champions are part of a distinct group of athletes, united by their commitment to ethics in sport. Together, this dynamic coalition strengthens the entity to promote a sporting world with the highest standards. Thus, they generate positive impacts globally and keep the sport free from criminal infiltration.
These stars join
- Miguel Oliveira, MotoGP rider,
- Majlinda Kelmendi, Judo Olympic champion,
- Rosa Mota, marathon runner,
- Cristina Gonçalves, bocce player.
In total, SIGA Champions include elite athletes and coaches from 9 countries across 12 sports. This diversity highlights the institution’s commitment to uniting athletes worldwide to promote sporting integrity.
