European Swimming League LEN Signs Up To Sports Integrity Global Alliance

LEN Bureau: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

European federation LEN has announced it will implement the Sports Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) Universal Standards on Sport Integrity, weeks after new president Antonio da Silva was elected on a ticket of transparency and unity.

It comes days after the Portuguese Swimming Federation, of which Da Silva is head, also signed up.

SIGA is a multilateral forum bringing together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, all with the common goal of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.

Among its signatories are the Commonwealth Games Federation, the World Bank, the European Professional Football Leagues, the Portuguese Olympic Committee and the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees.

It lists five sport integrity goals: good governance, outstanding ethical conduct, accountability, legality and scrutiny.

The statement from LEN read:

“LEN regards SIGA’s Universal Standards and SIRVS Rating as vital to enhance its governance, transparency and accountability

“The European Swimming League (LEN) is going to implement the SIGA Universal Standards on Sport Integrity and go through the SIGA Independent Rating and Verification System (SIRVS).

“SIGA is an independent, neutral and global organisation which believes that sport should be played and governed under the highest integrity standards, free from any form of unethical, illicit and criminal activity.

“SIGA provides global leadership, promotes good governance and safeguards the integrity of sport through a set of universal standards operated by an independent, neutral and global body.

“SIRVS is an integral part of SIGA’s ecosystem and aims to assess and rate a sports organisation’s compliance with the SIGA Universal Standards on Good Governance in Sport, Sports Betting Integrity, Financial Integrity in Sport, and Youth Development and Child Protection in Sport.

“The newly elected LEN President and Bureau members are determined to ensure that good governance and integrity are at the heart of everything that LEN does.

LEN President António Silva said:

“Good governance, transparency and accountability are absolutely essential for us, at LEN.

“We are committed to step up and usher our sport and our organisation into a new era.

“We are proud to have been a founding member of SIGA and resolve to implement the SIGA Universal Standards and go through SIGA’s independent rating and certification system without any further delay.

“‘This process is crucial to help improve the way we govern ourselves and operate, and strengthen our relations with our members, fans and commercial partners.

“‘This is what I promised to our member associations before the elections, and this is what, today, we have now set in motion.'”

Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, Global CEO of SIGA, Executive Chairman of SIGA EUROPE and
Chairman & CEO of SIGA AMERICA, stated:

“I want to commend LEN and its new leadership for having made the right decision. Adopting the SIGA Universal Standards and going through SIRVS is exactly what is expected from an organisation that wants to lead by example and deserve the recognition of the fans, the sponsors, the broadcasters and the entire sporting industry.

“They invest their passion, their money and their trust in sport. They need, they expect and they deserve nothing less.

“With this decision, LEN gives a powerful signal to the world of sport and the entire business community. I haven’t the slightest doubt they will be heard, loud and clear.”

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