Sport Integrity Announcement

Sport Integrity Australia CEO David Sharpe

So I Was Wondering - Overseas testing

Fast Fact - TUEs for blood transfusions

Outro

With Sport Integrity Australia opening to the public on July 1, new Chief Executive Officer David Sharpe talks about the dangers sports will face in the future in the latest episode of On Side.

Sharpe admits there are a “lot of challenges ahead”, particularly in the current COVID-19 climate.

“If you took me back three or four months ago, I would have said the greatest threats in sport are organised crime infiltrating sport and vulnerabilities in sport,” Sharpe says, “but right at the moment I think the immediate threat that has been exposed is the fact that the COVID virus has led to an economic downturn in sport and staff have been reduced across education, integrity and welfare units and I think that really has exposed some major vulnerabilities across sporting bodies.”

He says the loss of structure in athletes’ day-to-day lives poses potential problems, too.

“Athletes and sporting bodies have very structured organisations; athletes are told when to arrive, when to sleep, when to eat, when to train, and what goes into their body, without that supervision on a day-to-day basis it really exposes them to vulnerabilities around making decisions that they don’t normally, or haven’t normally, had to make.

“From that, it opens up opportunities for organised crime to go in and exploit them and use that to their benefit in betting markets.”

Sport Integrity Australia will oversee integrity issues such as the manipulation of sporting competitions, use of drugs and doping methods, abuse, bullying, and discrimination in sport, however Sharpe says the organisation will not work alone.

Also on On Side, Steve Northey, our Assistant Director - Sport Operations, answers the question from the public about athletes being tested while overseas.

With Sport Integrity Australia opening to the public on July 1, new Chief Executive Officer David Sharpe talks about the dangers sports will face in the future in the latest episode of On Side.
Sharpe admits there are a “lot of challenges ahead”, particularly in the current COVID-19 climate.
“If you took me back three or four months ago, I would have said the greatest threats in sport are organised crime infiltrating sport and vulnerabilities in sport,” Sharpe says, “but right at the moment I think the immediate threat that has been exposed is the fact that the COVID virus has led to an economic downturn in sport and staff have been reduced across education, integrity and welfare units and I think that really has exposed some major vulnerabilities across sporting bodies.”
He says the loss of structure in athletes’ day-to-day lives poses potential problems, too.
“Athletes and sporting bodies have very structured organisations; athletes are told when to arrive, when to sleep, when to eat, when to train, and what goes into their body, without that supervision on a day-to-day basis it really exposes them to vulnerabilities around making decisions that they don’t normally, or haven’t normally, had to make.
“From that, it opens up opportunities for organised crime to go in and exploit them and use that to their benefit in betting markets.”
Sport Integrity Australia will oversee integrity issues such as the manipulation of sporting competitions, use of drugs and doping methods, abuse, bullying, and discrimination in sport, however Sharpe says the organisation will not work alone.
Also on On Side, Steve Northey, our Assistant Director - Sport Operations, answers the question from the public about athletes being tested while overseas.

The official podcast of Sport Integrity Australia. Our mission is to protect the integrity of sport and the health and welfare of those who participate in Australian sport. Hosted by Tim Gavel, this podcast provides listeners with an opportunity to learn about integrity issues through athletes, coaches and administrators talking about contemporary and historical moments.

The official podcast of Sport Integrity Australia. Our mission is to protect the integrity of sport and the health and welfare of those who participate in Australian sport. Hosted by Tim Gavel, this podcast provides listeners with an opportunity to learn about integrity issues through athletes, coaches and administrators talking about contemporary and historical moments.

The official podcast of Sport Integrity Australia.

On Side

On Side is Sport Integrity Australia's official podcast hosted by sports broadcaster, Tim Gavel. Episodes are released monthly and explore the topic of integrity in sport through conversations with current and former professional athletes, coaches, sport executives, administrators, sport scientists and other expert guests.

On Side is Sport Integrity Australia's official podcast hosted by sports broadcaster, Tim Gavel. Episodes are released monthly and explore the topic of integrity in sport through conversations with current and former professional athletes, coaches, sport executives, administrators, sport scientists and other expert guests.

With Sport Integrity Australia opening to the public on July 1, new Chief Executive Officer David Sharpe talks about the dangers sports will face in the future in the latest episode of OnSide. Sharpe admits there are a “lot of challenges ahead”,...