German athletes in an interview about grievances in sport

The Center for Safe Sports has not yet been established, and now German athletes are demanding more: the creation of a National Integrity Agency that cares about the integrity of sport, its organizations and its people. Wasn’t the first step big enough?

Herber: Basically, we’re just including our prior considerations in the broader debate about integrity. This year we have heard about several cases that we describe anonymously in our paper. They have frustrated us personally, thwarted those affected, and in some cases thwarted associations as well. We felt: There is a huge inability to deal with grievances and misconduct. There is no appropriate investigative body that can deal with these issues professionally and efficiently, with all parties eventually accepting the outcome. Reports were sent out, issues remained unresolved, and no one learned from them. Establishing a Safe Sports Center remains our wish and priority. However, we also understood that the structural deficiencies in safe sport are very similar to those in other areas: when it comes to undermining the rights of athletes, and human rights issues such as discrimination and protecting people. The issue of integrity in sport must be approached holistically and in a networked way over the long term.