Ukraine's First workshop for Integrity Officers: A New Phase in the Development of the National Platform
On 15-16 April 2026, a training event for integrity officers from Ukraine’s sports federations was held at the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. The event was organised as part of the work of the National Platform of Sports Integrity as a practical pilot project aimed at strengthening sports federations’ institutional capacity to safeguard integrity.
The workshop was opened with the participation of Vadym Gutzeit, President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, and the National Platform’s leadership: its Deputy Chair, Oleksii Perevezentsev, First Vice-President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, and Nataliia Radchuk, Secretary of the National Platform. The training was moderated by National Platform expert Andrii Nekrutov. The welcoming addresses emphasised the strategic importance of developing a sports integrity system as part of public policy and the need to strengthen coordination between public authorities, sports organisations and law enforcement bodies.
The first day of training was devoted to the legal framework, risks and response mechanisms in the field of sports integrity. Participants learned about the foundations of legislation on combating the manipulation of sports competitions and its application in practice. In particular, Nataliia Panafeda, a representative of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), presented Ukraine’s legal framework for combating the manipulation of sports competitions, focusing on the provisions of the dedicated Law of Ukraine “On Preventing the Influence of Corruption Offences on the Results of Official Sports Competitions”, the provisions of the Criminal Code, the persons subject to liability and practical aspects of applying these provisions.
Oksana Zalizko, Chair of the Control and Disciplinary Committee of the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF), addressed good governance in sports federations, including the development and implementation of internal rules, procedures and control mechanisms, as well as the specific features of their practical application and liability for violations.
Vasyl Tomashchuk, a representative of the National Police of Ukraine, presented the procedure for sports federations’ cooperation with law enforcement agencies. He explained in detail the stages of detecting and documenting possible manipulation of competition results, the specific features of pre-trial investigations, and mechanisms for joint work.
Andrii Nekrutov’s presentation, which focused on the underlying causes and preconditions for athletes’ involvement in the manipulation of sports competition results, attracted considerable interest during the day. In particular, a range of risk factors was examined, from financial and social aspects to psychological factors and the influence of external actors, helping participants better understand the nature of these violations.
The second day of training focused on practical tools for internal investigations. Particular attention was drawn to the substantive, practice-oriented presentation by Maryna Ansiforova, Head of Investigations and Compliance at LIGA ZAKON, and Andrii Bezsonov, an OSINT analyst at COSA, on the use of OSINT tools, including the application of artificial intelligence technologies.
The speakers presented current approaches to searching for, verifying and analysing information from open sources and the LIGA360 system, demonstrating the practical value of OSINT for internal investigations in sport. Their presentation provided a striking example of effective synergy between the sports community and specialists in open-data analysis, opening up new opportunities to improve the quality of risk detection and responses to potential integrity violations. The session demonstrated how information can be searched for, verified and analysed effectively for internal investigations even without specialised resources.
A separate session was devoted to the UAF’s practical experience, notably disciplinary liability and internal control procedures in the field of integrity. In this context, Andrii Davydenko, Chair of the UAF Ethics and Fair Play Committee, presented “Special Tools for Internal Investigations: Opportunities, Limitations and Practical Experience of Their Use”, which examined current approaches to verifying information.
Nicholas Raudenski, an independent sports integrity expert, presented the key stages of an internal investigation, focusing on planning, evidence collection and interviewing. His practical recommendations were supported by examples from international experience.
The training culminated in a practical simulation of an internal investigation, jointly facilitated by Nicholas Raudenski and Andrii Nekrutov. Participants worked on a simulated case, applying the knowledge and tools they had acquired, after which the results were discussed in a joint review.
The event concluded with Oleksii Perevezentsev presenting certificates to the training participants.
The training marked an important stage in the development of Ukraine’s sports integrity system.
The knowledge and practical skills acquired will support the implementation of effective internal policies and procedures in sports federations, improve their preparedness to respond to risks, and strengthen cooperation with national and international partners.