Twentytwo13

Franco Frattini leaves SIGA, to serve as Italy Supreme Court president

It was an emotional start to the Sport Integrity Week 2022 (SIW2022) after Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) chair Franco Frattini announced he will no longer serve the Geneva-based organisation.

Frattini, in making the emotional revelation during the opening ceremony yesterday, said he was unable to carry on as he has been named Italy’s Supreme Court president.

“Being chairman of SIGA represents the supreme values of honesty and transparency,” said Frattini.

“Having the additional responsibility of defending my country (Italy) as president of the Supreme Court, I feel I can’t continue to be SIGA chair.

“I am not worried about SIGA’s future, as I know almost everything will continue to fall on the shoulders of my good friend, Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, who is the chief executive officer.

“In accepting to be the president of the Supreme Court, I have decided to serve my country. It is a strong commitment, not compatible with having other roles.”

Frattini, however, said he would keep supporting SIGA every day, and “will always be ready to say the right words to help SIGA”.

“Those are principles that will never change,” added Frattini, a former Italian minister who also served as a European Union commissioner.

Frattini, however, was unable to join the event at the Nova School of Business and Economics in Cascais, Portugal, due to Covid-19. He joined via live video conferencing from Italy in the hybrid session that will end on Friday.

Separately, six-time European judo champion Telma Monteiro was named SIGA Champion yesterday. The SIGA Champions programme allows athletes to become ambassadors of sport integrity.

Monteiro (left), who represented Portugal in the 2016 Olympics, receiving the award by de Medeiros.

“I am honoured to be here and to be a SIGA champion,” said Monteiro.

“I hope I can spread the values of integrity and of my sport, judo, as they should be the basis in any life, be it an athlete, or not.”

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, former French national footballer Louis Saha, MotoGP racer Miguel Oliveira, United Nations’ assistant secretary-general Maria Francesca Spatolisano, European Parliament member Tomasz Frankowski, and Microsoft chief marketing officer and general manager Sandra Lopez are among those who will feature in the event throughout this week.

SIW2022 will also host a series of other significant thought leadership events, including the launch of the SIGA GRID (gender, race, inclusion and diversity) Awards, and the signing of a sport integrity pact.