On May 14th, 2025, Panathlon International’s Culture, Research and Education Commission (PI-CREC) successfully hosted the second edition of its Webinar Series, focusing on the increasingly critical issue of match-fixing and betting integrity in sport.
The session, titled “Match-fixing and betting integrity: The challenge of the 21st century”, was coordinated by the PI-CREC Member, Fábio Figueiras (Portugal) and brought together experts and members of the Panathlon community for an evening of education, debate, and awareness-raising.
The event opened at 21:00 (CET) with greetings from Fábio Figueiras, who then gave the floor to Giorgio Chinellato, President of Panathlon International. In his welcome message, President Chinellato emphasized the importance of tackling corruption in sport and upholding Panathlon’s values of fair play and ethics.
At 21:10, João Paulo Almeida delivered a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation covering the main concepts, challenges, and emerging trends in match-fixing. This set the stage for the interactive panel discussion that followed.
Beginning at 21:30, panelists Nuno Perestrelo, João Paulo Almeida, and Fábio Figueiras explored key topics such as:
• Role of education and Panathlon Clubs contribution to this
• Responsibilities of sports federations and the media
• Key risks, including illegal betting and inside Information
At 21:50, the discussion was opened to questions from the audience.
The webinar concluded at 22:05 with a summary and final remarks by Fábio Figueiras, who underscored the need for continued dialogue, international cooperation, and proactive solutions to safeguard the integrity of sport.
To ensure accessibility and inclusivity, the session was conducted in Portuguese, with automatic subtitle translation into multiple languages available through Zoom.
Panathlon International thanks all speakers, participants, and attendees for their valuable contributions. The Commission remains committed to promoting ethical values in sport through education, dialogue, and awareness-raising initiatives.
