The Table Tennis Federation of Ukraine (TTFU) and the Sport Integrity Team announced their partnership in an effort to counter violations of the principles of fair play by sportsmen. As part of the partnership, the organizations have created the “Code of Ethics and Fair Play” and have launched an Ethics and Fair Play Committee, as well as a system of new “rules of the game” for table tennis players in Ukraine.
Thanks to the global rise in popularity and interest in the game, players participating in Ukrainian Table Tennis tournaments are facing increasing temptation by being offered match fixing agreements. The partnership has been formed in response to this increased pressure and will see the TTFU work collaboratively with experts from the Sport Integrity team, who have a long-standing track record of fighting against fixed-score matches and previously established the Ethics and Fair Play Committee for the Ukrainian Football Association.
The introduction of a formal Code of Ethics and Fair Play officially puts into place policies around appropriate and inappropriate conduct, to ensure that all organizers, players, umpires and officials involved in table tennis tournaments are clear on the standards which need to be upheld. The Code includes policies around disclosing conflicts of interest, the offering and acceptance of gifts and other benefits, bribery, corruption, discrimination, and many other relevant matters to ensure best practice. Beyond this, the Code sets out the process for dealing with any violations of the Code and lays out the jurisdiction of the newly formed Ethics and Fair Play Committee to uphold the policies.
Aside from this, the TTFU continues to develop approaches to regulate the market of commercial table tennis tournaments, which till now have not had one official regulatory body. As part of the federation’s efforts, all major tournaments will now sign an agreement on their official member status and are included in a single calendar of sports events in Ukraine. Matches are counted towards a simplified system of national ratings, and players must confirm their status as professional athletes.