The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has launched a three-year initiative to enhance governance within the city's sports bodies.
The initiative is a partnership with the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong (SF&OC), the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), and the Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute (HKCGI).
Speaking at the opening ceremony on Thursday, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, said the newly established alliance will provide advisory services covering legal, accounting, and corruption prevention.
To elevate professional standards in the sports sector, Law noted that tailor-made courses will also be offered to the city's national sports associations (NSAs) to improve board governance and integrity management.
Law highlighted the essential role of sports associations in advancing Hong Kong's athletic achievements, stressing that effective governance is crucial for both sports performance and athlete morale.
“The government has expectations and demands regarding the national sports associations’ integrity and management,” Law emphasized.
She also expressed pride in recent local athletic accomplishments, crediting them to the support of the NSAs and encouraging the associations to participate actively with the new platform.
Regarding the implementation of the SF&OC’s governance code by its member associations, Law mentioned that initial improvements are already evident.
Speaking at the same ceremony, Moray Taylor-Smith, HKJC’s Executive Director, Security, Integrity and Information Security, emphasised the shared commitment among partners to ensure that sports are clean, fair, inclusive, ethical, rules-based and accountable to stakeholders.
Drawing on a long history of integrity management expertise in its racing operations, he said the club is honoured to collaborate closely with Hong Kong national sports associations and share with them the tools, resources and knowledge required to uphold the highest standards of governance.
He added that through the Charities Trust’s donation, the club hopes to empower national sports associations to strengthen their governance.
Scheduled activities
The ICAC's training program will analyze recent corruption cases from the sports sector to provide risk warnings and anti-corruption advice. A short video will also be produced to highlight common corruption risks within national sports associations and explain relevant legislation.
A series of activities is scheduled for the coming months, including a sports governance program co-organized by the HKJC and HKCGI, and an international forum on sports governance and integrity in December.
Additionally, workshops on the SF&OC’s new governance code and an 18-hour localized certificate course in sports governance and integrity are planned for next year.
