The Federation Baseball & Softball of Ukraine joins the network of the National Platform of Sports Integrity
On February 14, the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine hosted a meeting between the members of the interagency working group "National Platform of Sports Integrity" and representatives of the Federation Baseball & Softball of Ukraine. The participants were welcomed by the First Vice President of the NOC of Ukraine and Deputy Head of the National Platform of Sports Integrity, Oleksii Perevezentsev, as well as the President of the Federation Baseball & Softball of Ukraine, Andriy Nikolaenko.
Participants discussed key challenges related to the manipulation of sports competitions and opportunities to prevent risks in baseball and softball at the national level.
Speaking to participants, Oleksii Perevezentsev noted that sport today has become more than just a competition or mass physical activity — it is now a rapidly growing sector of the global economy. In this context, the First Vice President of the NOC of Ukraine shared successful case studies from international efforts to combat match-fixing for profit through fraudulent schemes and money laundering by criminal groups. He also highlighted major scandals in global baseball, underscoring the relevance of the issue under discussion.
The participants of the event agreed that manipulating the results of competitions is a serious threat to fair play. In his speech, Andriy Nikolaenko, President of the Federation Baseball & Softball of Ukraine, noted the growing interest in baseball among Ukrainian sports fans and stressed that preventive work and informing athletes about the risks of possible manipulations are extremely important.
Nataliia Radchuk, Secretary of the National Platform of Sports Integrity, presented the regulatory framework of the interagency working group, tools, approaches and results of the National Platform's work. She informed about the global and national statistics of recieved alerts of possible manipulations and emphasised the importance of the network of integrity officers in national sports federations.
Sviatoslav Syrota, a member of the National Platform and representative of the NGO "Play Fair", presented to participants of the event methods and means of countering manipulation in sports, experience and guidance on conducting relevant educational work with athletes and their staff.
We remind you that you can report cases of manipulation of sports competitions, including anonymously, on the website of the National Platform of Sports Integrity: https://fairsport.gov.ua/uk.