Menu
Leagues and Governing Bodies

Drugs Just The Start Of Australia's Problems As Organized Crime Infiltrates Country's Sports

Organized crime "is using performance-enhancing and illicit drugs to entrap athletes who may then be blackmailed to fix matches," according to Malcolm Conn of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. A report by the Australian Crime Commission "found a link between the illegal use of drugs and attempts to match-fix or spot-fix." Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, who is also the head of Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports, confirmed that "illegal activities were sometimes intertwined." Sutherland said this was the most alarming aspect of the "shocking" report. Sutherland said, "It's fair to say that this report further highlights a propensity for organized crime to get closer to athletes with a possible implication of compromising the integrity of sporting events by fixing matches or spot fixing" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 2/8). In Sydney, Wayne Smith reported Australian Rugby Union CEO Bill Pulver, who "being put through a torrid initiation in his first week in the job," said that "what was deeply concerning" about the Australian Crime Commission briefing "was that performance-enhancing drugs appeared to be just the leading edge of the problem." Pulver said, "What organized crime is doing is penetrating professional sport by investing in legitimate businesses that are supplying to professional sport" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 2/8).

CRIMINAL EXPOSURE:
Also in Sydney, Lisa Davies reported individuals with ''extensive criminal associations'' are involved in legitimate business partnerships with major Australian sporting codes, leaving athletes "exposed to exploitation and corruption through otherwise legitimate relationships." The report stated: "Illicit drug use by athletes leaves them particularly vulnerable to exploitation for other criminal purposes, including match fixing and fraud arising out of the provision of 'inside information.' There is also evidence to suggest that some athletes are supplying others with illicit drugs" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/8).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2013/02/08/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/Aussie-crime.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2013/02/08/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/Aussie-crime.aspx

CLOSE