Managerial staff of 43 National Sports Associations (NSAs) in Hong Kong today (January 19) completed the ICAC’s first-ever integrity training tailored for NSAs in a bid to help enhance the sporting sector’s awareness of corruption prevention and strengthen the governance of the sector.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Integrity Leadership Training for NSAs today, ICAC’s Director of Corruption Prevention Bryan Chong Ka-lok noted that the course, which was one of the pilot courses of the soon-to-open Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption, aimed to enhance the integrity culture and governance of the sporting world. “The ICAC will continue to collaborate with stakeholders through a three-pronged approach of law enforcement, prevention and education to strengthen the industry’s governance. In order to share the good story of Hong Kong sports, the goal to go “faster, higher, stronger” must be achieved in a fair and honest manner,” noted Chong.

Commissioner for Sports in the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau Sam Wong Tak-sum, guest of honor at the opening ceremony, stressed that fairness and integrity were of paramount importance for the healthy development of the sports sector. “Sports associations share the significant role to foster a culture of integrity and ensure a level playing field for athletes where they can fully demonstrate the spirit of sportsmanship and let their efforts and talents be fairly assessed. While Hong Kong’s sports industry enjoys a good reputation, we must remain vigilant. A single case would destroy our hard-earned reputation,” said Wong.

Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, Legislative Council member representing the Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication functional constituency who officiated at the closing ceremony of the training course, said, “It is important for the sports industry to remain united and to uphold integrity. Any form of misconduct will tarnish the positive image which the sports sector has established over time and erode public confidence in the industry. The public expects a very high standard of integrity from the sports industry, it is vital for us to join forces to foster this value and enhance the governance standard of NSAs. We must also stay alert and adopt a zero-tolerance attitude towards corruption.”

The ethical leadership training course was attended by representatives from 43 local NSAs of various sports, including major ones such as football, basketball, table tennis, rugby, badminton, swimming, fencing, gymnastics, cycling, etc. The course featured analysis of completed cases as well as common modus operandi concerning the sports sector by seasoned ICAC investigators. Participants also learnt about corruption prevention advices on areas such as NSAs’ governance, managing accounts and donations, as well as daily administrative matters from officers of the Corruption Prevention Department and the Community Relations Department. Meanwhile, NSA representatives also shared with each other their views and experience in relation to integrity management through group discussions.

The ICAC training course was supported by the Competition Commission, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports. Representatives from these organisations attended as guest speakers and shared with participants issues relating to competitions under the admission criteria and procedures of NSAs, as well as their views on application of technology to foster integrity and fairness in the sector.