Kampar, Malaysia, July 16, 2024: The Olympic Council of Asia’s push to always put athlete safety and welfare first was underlined in the final presentation on Safeguarding in Sport at the OCA World Triathlon/Asian Triathlon Youth Development Camp on Tuesday, July 16.
With the eight-day camp coming to a conclusion on Wednesday, July 17, it was fitting that the last classroom lecture should focus on the measures put in place to protect the well-being and welfare of young athletes who are especially a vulnerable group.
Syahirah Latiff, training and education manager, Safe Sport Singapore, conducted the interactive session which looked at child athletes’ protection, creating a safe environment for them, reporting cases of harassment and sexual abuse, and oversight and working closely with relevant authorities from national sports federations and National Olympic Committees to governing bodies like the OCA.
It was a fun session as it was laced with interactive games and enjoyed by the 48 young athletes aged between 14 and 17 years, in particular Nepal’s Sujal Rai who emerged winner of the quiz where there were seven scenarios with participants asked to identify what form of abuse or harassment it was.
“The bottom-line in Safeguarding is if you see something which feels not right, then you have to say something,” Latiff urged.
She brought up several cases of sexual abuse in sports, in her home Singapore as well as other parts of the world – highlighting the case of a Korean female triathlete who committed suicide because of a toxic team culture of abuse – and using them as examples to show her young audience the dangers that they could face in the future.
“There are five types of abuse and harassment – physical, sexual, psychological, sexual harassment and neglect where coaches fail to provide care to their charges,” Latiff pointed out.
The importance with which the OCA approaches Safeguarding in Sport was underlined by the watershed move which happened at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China when for the first time a Safeguarding Officer was appointed in international sport.
The final presentation at this residential camp was just another reminder of the priority the OCA places on making sport safe in Asia.
