Ex-WADA chief calls for global sports integrity body

Athletics Integrity Unit chairman David Howman has called for a global body to stamp out corruption plaguing world sport, warning that without concerted action "the bad guys will win".

The former head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said a worldwide integrity body should have input from the sports and betting industries, governments and law enforcement agencies.

"The breadth of them (corruption issues) is huge if you look at some of the current problems we have in sport like match manipulation and criminal underworld engagement with ownership of sport," Howman told a conference in London.

"Be very careful of people who come out with a lot of money and say 'we will live stream your third-rate football for millions of dollars a year'. Why? Because they want to bet on them.

"How much money is there in the Asian unregulated betting market? $1.5 trillion, and who is using that market? A lot of terrorist groups as it is a really easy way to launder money. We sit back and let it happen."
"Without a unified approach the bad guys will win."
- Ombudsman -
=============
"However, you can fund it easily by adding one to two percent to all media rights as an integrity tax, plus a percentage of sponsorship contracts for major events and funding from the betting industry."
"Much stronger action needs to be taken as it is money which has effectively been stolen from the sport."