Jill Pilgrim, co-founder and principal of Precise Advisory Group, recently served as a presenter in an INTERPOL workshop in Salvador, Brazil. The Integrity in Sport workshop is part of the global INTERPOL/FIFA Training, Education and Prevention Initiative that was created to tackle match fixing and corruption in soccer.

Pilgrim's presentation identified the elements that are necessary to include in effective anti-fraud rules developed by soccer associations, an orderly way for soccer associations to conduct internal anti-corruption investigations and proceedings and optimal communication and cooperation between soccer associations and law enforcement. She said,

 

I was thrilled to participate in the INTERPOL workshop in Brazil. For the future of soccer or any sport, it is vitally important to discuss the topic of best practices in governance and how to avoid or identify corruption, educate people on the scope of the problem and help people understand how they can be a part of the solution to eliminate or identify and deter corruption. INTERPOL and FIFA have created an outstanding forum for discussion of these important topics among the leaders who can and must influence football's future globally. My presentation also covered strategic planning parameters and ready-to-implement guidelines and ethics practices.

 

The objectives of the Integrity in Sport Workshops are to:

 

• Improve knowledge and understanding of the global threat from match-fixing and irregular/ illegal betting and its impact at national level (What are the current tactics used by criminals to initiate match-fixing in soccer and likely trends in the future?);
• Identify current good practice and ways to prevent match-fixing and corruption in soccer and more effectively protect the future of the game; and 
• Further encourage global, regional and national bodies associated with soccer to work together more effectively in partnerships, regularly sharing information and taking action to prevent match-fixing.