The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) today joins with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and organisations around the world in marking International Anti-Corruption Day 2024.
A cause central to the ITIA's vision and mission, International Anti-Corruption Day's theme of Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity focuses on the role young guardians of integrity play as advocates, raising awareness about corruption and its impacts on their communities.
The approach taken by the ITIA, in partnership with our tennis members, places high importance on the role of juniors in the sport. In our recently published strategy, Education was identified as one of five key pillars for the organisation for the period 2024-2027 - with a strong focus on a robust programme of values-based education for the next generation of players.
Karen Moorhouse, ITIA CEO, said: "The vision of the ITIA is to ensure that tennis events and their participants are free from corruption and doping - and so we are pleased to support this year's International Anti-Corruption Day.
"This year's theme of Youth Against Corruption is timely, and hugely important in the fight against corruption in tennis. We are proud to work proactively with our members to help juniors make good decisions and prepare for their transition into the professional game.”
Since 2023, integrity education has been mandatory for junior players on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior World Tennis Tour, ensuring that thousands of players are equipped with a fundamental understanding of the importance of integrity, how to identify corrupt approaches, and a broader understanding of the impact of corrupt behaviour.
Our pathway approach combines mandatory online education with in-person sessions at a number of junior education events held throughout the tour calendar. In 2024 alone, over 1,100 junior players have participated in either online or in-person briefings, including events at 18 specific junior competitions across the world, including the 14-and-under World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostejov, Czechia, and the under-16 Junior Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup Finals in Antalya, Turkey, among many others.
To read more about Anti-Corruption Day, head to the UNODC website.
For more information the ITIA's education programmes, click here.
Published 09 December 2024 12:00