Georgia’s Sport Ministry to tackle fixing matches with CoE’s support

Damian Voltz is a Senior Intelligence Analyst with Australia’s National Integrity of Sport Unit. Photo: 1tv.ge

Agenda.ge, 09 Oct 2019 - 17:13, Tbilisi,Georgia

The Council of Europe (CoE) is conducting a pilot study to assess the risks of fixing sports competitions in Georgia. 

 The organization selected four countries for the study. Georgia is in the list along with Norway, Belgium and Portugal.

As a part of the project, Australian expert Damian Voltz is visiting Georgia hosted by Shalva Gogoladze, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport.

 Damian Voltz is a Senior Intelligence Analyst with Australia’s National Integrity of Sport Unit.

 It’s about government and sports federations, all working together to protect the integrity of Georgian sport. This is a very serious issue and only by working together with other member states of the CoE, we will be able to defeat fixing matches and manipulation of sport competition”, said Damian Voltz.

 Nowadays, the main challenge of sport is fixing matches and manipulation of sports competition. To tackle this problem and to provide consultations with the Council of Europe, Australian expert Damian Voltz will provide consultation on how to combat these problems”,  said Shalva Gogoladze.

 The Australian side will carry out a pilot study initiated by the CoE together with the Georgian Ministry of Sports and National Georgian Sports Federations. Damian Voltz will meet representatives of federations to learn about the problems they face and share Australian experience.

 Over the past five years Damian Voltz has been involved in the ongoing monitoring, analysis and assessment of a range of issues relating to organized crime and the integrity of professional sport in Australia.