Competition manipulation occurs when a sportsperson or official cheats to remove the unpredictability of a competition. Sportspersons may cheat to lose a competition or part of it, which is entirely against the values of Commonwealth Sport. The reason behind such an action would be either to gain a sporting advantage (e.g. face an easier opponent in the 2nd round of a tournament) or to gain a financial benefit, notably linked with sports betting.
In order to prevent the proliferation of competition manipulation, CGF works together with the Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (“OM Unit PMC”) via the educational campaign “Be True, Be You, Believe in Sport" to ensure that all athletes, officials and support staff are aware of the CGF Charter of Good Conduct (which incorporates the CGF Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions) in order to protect themselves and their sport from threats linked to competition manipulation.
The Believe in Sport Campaign provides a wide range of tools, including audio-visual materials and e-learning for the Olympic Movement stakeholders, including CGA’s, to raise awareness about the threats of competition manipulation.
What are the Rules and Violations?
In order to best fight against competition manipulation, CGF has adopted rules which are applicable for all Commonwealth Games. The rules are in line with the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions. Breaches of the rules lead to disciplinary sanctions.
Breaches include:
- Betting on one’s sport
- Sharing of inside information
- Corrupt conduct / manipulation
- Failure to cooperate
- Failure to report
If such a breach is identified during a Commonwealth Games, there will be disciplinary proceedings which could lead to disciplinary sanctions for the persons involved.
Always report and contribute to keeping sport inspirational
Relevant breaches of the Rules 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 responsibility to contribute to protecting the moral integrity of Commonwealth Sport, our fellow athletes and our sports, by reporting in a safe way, any potential breach that comes to our attention.
The IOC Integrity Hotline is accessible for anyone at any time to confidentially report any suspicious actions that have come to your attention: www.olympic.org/integrityhotline.
Please note that the link is to be used for the reporting of competition manipulation cases for any other integrity reports please refer to the Ethics Commission page and report to the Ethics Officer at ethics@thecgf.com.
