Ace Indian Shuttler PV Sindhu and Canada's Michelle Li have been announced the athlete ambassadors for the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) ‘Believe in Sport’ campaign aimed at preventing competition manipulation.
Sindu and Li will be working together with other athlete ambassadors from around the globe to increase awareness on the issue of competition manipulation among athletes and entourage.
The duo also have been the global ambassadors for BWF’s ‘i am badminton’ campaign since April 2020.
On joining the IOC’s ‘Believe in Sport’ campaign, Sindhu, the Rio Olympics silver medallist said in a press release by the Badminton World Federation (BWF): “It is an honour to be nominated by the IOC as an ambassador. I stand alongside my fellow athletes in the fight against any form of cheating or competition manipulation. Together we are stronger.”
2014 Commonwealth Games champion Li added: “We all want to be on the same start line. It’s so important to be fair as that’s a true representation of what your ability is.”
Manipulation or match fixing in badminton includes influencing the course or the result of a badminton match inorder to obtain an advantage for the individual or others; and removing all or part of the uncertainty normally associated with the course or results of a competition.
'Protecting honest athletes and keeping sport fair is a top priority for the Olympic Movement and both the IOC and BWF are committed to fighting all forms of cheating that threaten the integrity and essence of sport.' stated BWF in a media release.
BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund said: “Competition manipulation has become an increasingly global concern and protecting honest players is a top priority for the BWF. By joining forces with the IOC in nominating two of our most popular players, Pusarla and Li as ambassadors, we believe we can have a positive impact in the fight to protect integrity in sport.”
Sindhu and Li, as part of the ‘Believe in Sport’ campaign leading up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will engage with the badminton athlete community through online webinars along with social media messages to underline the risks involved and will educate them on how best to safeguard and protect themselves in light of opportunities to manipulate their competition.
