The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) has awarded European Aquatics the Bronze Certification under its Independent Rating and Verification System (SIRVS) for Good Governance in Sport.
The SIRVS certification process for European Aquatics began in 2022 with a comprehensive gap analysis, designed to assess governance practices and identify areas for improvement under the universal standards on good governance in sports.
Following this assessment, European Aquatics collaborated with independent auditors to implement the necessary reforms to achieve the Bronze Level Certification, demonstrating its commitment to enhanced governance, transparency, and accountability.
With this certification, European Aquatics joins the likes of European Rugby League and Liga Portugal that have undergone independent SIRVS certification. The International Chess Federation and Brazilian football giant São Paulo FC have embarked on their respective certification processes, underscoring the increasing recognition of SIGA’s governance standards across multiple sports.
SIGA’s global chief executive officer, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, said European Aquatics’ outstanding accomplishment underscores its unwavering commitment to improving governance and fostering accountability within the sport.
“We are proud to witness their leadership and the exemplary standard they have set for other sports organisations to follow. I have no doubt that their example has been noted by the entire sports industry and will motivate other sports organisations to embark on their own governance journeys,” said de Medeiros.
“It is also rewarding to witness, once again, the importance of SIGA’s Universal Standards and the SIRVS system in driving meaningful change within global sport. We look forward to seeing what the future holds as European Aquatics, and their national federations continue to push the boundaries of governance excellence.”
Antonio José Silva said since he was elected as European Aquatics president in 2022, he was determined to transform and enhance the governance capabilities of the regional organisation, “by engaging in a rigorous evaluation process with SIGA as set out in their SIRVS certification process, and then doing everything in our power to address our deficiencies and make concrete improvements”.
“This has been a team effort, for which I thank my bureau colleagues, national federations and other stakeholders since good governance and integrity in sports is something that requires a team effort,” said Silva.
“I am very proud that our practical and ongoing efforts have placed integrity at the heart of everything we do. While we are delighted to have achieved the bronze standard of the SIRVS certification, this is just the start, and we are committed to moving a step up on the podium to achieve silver status as soon as possible.”
Twentytwo13 is SIGA’s official media partner.
