The Olympic Committee of Brazil (COB) is announcing several rules and measures to prevent the manipulation of results. The forms of control against sports fraud will start to take effect at the Tokyo Games and include notifications, removal and even banning of the sportsman who breaks the rules.
“We are concerned about the Olympics because it is in Asia this year. There are a lot of bets there, Asia is the world center for sports betting. It is cultural for them,” said COB legal director Luciano Hostins in an interview with Estadão.
Hostins added: “The manipulation of competitions linked to betting is considered in the world sport scene to be one of the greatest threats to the integrity of the sport. It would be no different in the context of the Olympic Games.”
Olympic sports are still not the main focus of the handlers. Therefore, the COB sought references in football to create its Policy to Combat the Manipulation of Results. According to the Terra portal, the sports entity had the help of a Brazilian football specialist.
This is Paulo Schmitt, with more than a decade of experience in the Superior Court of Sports Justice and president of the Integrity Committee of the São Paulo Football Federation.
“We know that there is a huge incidence of match-fixing problems in football around the world. But we already have strong news and evidence that match-fixers are migrating to other sports. This is something that worries the IOC (International Olympic Committee), which it created its code against manipulation. And now the COB has this concern because of the Tokyo Games,” Schmitt told Estadão.
Bookmakers can help maintain sporting integrity
However, bookmakers can also work in cooperation with the COB. “They are partners because they are victims too. When a guy bets, they have to pay. And there are other companies that provide services to gambling sites to detect manipulation of results by analyzing the behavior of bets,” explained Hostins.
COB seeks partnerships with investigative bodies such as Interpol and the Federal Police. In addition, the Policy to Combat the Manipulation of Results includes a committee focused on investigating all complaints. “It is difficult, but it needs to be done. We are going to use the resources of the COB itself, with the natural limitations of a private entity”, explained the legal director.
Based on the investigative work of the committee, the complaint can be passed on to police authorities. “The rules of the COB can lead to suspension and removal. But the authorities can open a criminal case for fraud that can lead the offender to detention,” he pointed out.
Among the modalities present in the Olympic Games, tennis is one of the sports that is presenting the largest number of cases of manipulation in recent times. For this reason, the main organizations in the sport created the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU).
COB is creating Code to Prevent and Combat the Manipulation of Competitions
Also according to Terra, the new COB policy is based on three factors: education, complaints and intelligence, in addition to updating the rules. With that in mind, managers and athletes from all Olympic sports will receive a booklet with instructions for the Tokyo Games.
COB also plans to hold seminars and courses on the subject shortly. Simultaneously, the entity is developing its Code for Preventing and Combating the Manipulation of Competitions.
“The COB is responsible for protecting the Olympic values and the fight against match manipulation, as well as the fight against doping in sports, is one of the points of attention that we assume as a priority in Brazil, supporting this important IOC initiative”, quoted the president of the COB, Paulo Wanderley.
The action of the Brazilian Committee has even been recognized by the International Olympic Committee. “We commend the Olympic Committee of Brazil for adopting the anti-competition manipulation policy based on the Olympic Movement Unit’s three-pillar strategy,” said Friedrich Martens, head of the Olympic Movement Unit in the Prevention of Competition Manipulation at the IOC.
How to report cases of manipulation of results?
To report any attempt or combination of results, the person can contact the COB through the official website, in the Transparency area, or by telephone (0800-512-6666) and e-mail ([email protected]) . According to the national entity, these channels are independent, confidential and operate 24 hours a day.
For service during the Olympics in Japan, as of the 23rd, a specific channel was launched for the Brazilian delegation with other numbers: 0800 600 0197, (31) 98947-7889 (Whatsapp) and www.ouvidordigital.com.br/ cob.
