MICHELLE LI AND PUSARLA V. SINDHU APPOINTED ATHLETE AMBASSADORS FOR IOC’S ‘BELIEVE IN SPORT’ CAMPAIGN

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is delighted to announce that India’s Pusarla V. Sindhu and Canada’s Michelle Li have been nominated as athlete ambassadors for the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) ‘Believe in Sport’ campaign aimed at preventing competition manipulation.

Pusarla and Li will be working alongside other athlete ambassadors from around the world to raise awareness on the topic of competition manipulation amongst athletes and entourage.

The pair have been global ambassadors for BWF’s ‘i am badminton’ campaign since April 2020.

‘i am badminton’ Ambassador: Pusarla V. Sindhu

 ‘i am badminton’ Ambassador: Michelle Li

World champion and Rio Olympics silver medallist Pusarla said of joining the IOC’s ‘Believe in Sport’ campaign: “It is an honour to be nominated by the IOC as an ambassador. I stand alongside my fellow athletes in the fight against any form of cheating or competition manipulation. Together we are stronger.”

2014 Commonwealth Games champion Li added: “We all want to be on the same start line. It’s so important to be fair as that’s a true representation of what your ability is.”

In badminton, manipulation or match fixing includes influencing the course or the result of a badminton match in order to obtain an advantage for the individual or others; and removing all or part of the uncertainty normally associated with the course or results of a competition.

Protecting honest athletes and keeping sport fair is a top priority for the Olympic Movement and both the IOC and BWF are committed to fighting all forms of cheating that threaten the integrity and essence of sport.

BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund said: “Competition manipulation has become an increasingly global concern and protecting honest players is a top priority for the BWF. By joining forces with the IOC in nominating two of our most popular players, Pusarla and Li as ambassadors, we believe we can have a positive impact in the fight to protect integrity in sport.”

As part of the ‘Believe in Sport’ campaign leading up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Pusarla and Li will be engaging with the badminton athlete community through online webinars and social media messages to highlight the risks involved and educating them on how best to safeguard and protect themselves in light of opportunities to manipulate their competition.

The IOC’s ‘Believe in Sport’ campaign was launched in 2018 to raise awareness among athletes, coaches and officials of the threat of competition manipulation.