WBSC publishes Integrity Unit Annual Report 2024

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has released the Integrity Unit Annual Report 2024 in English and Spanish, including reporting on efforts in anti-doping, governance, manipulation prevention, safeguarding and sustainability.

Several new policies and systems were introduced, including a Contract Management System (CMS), new Athlete Transfer Rules, and enhanced data protection measures. Our collaboration with key external stakeholders remained strong, particularly with organisations such as the International Testing Agency (ITA), SportRadar, and the Green Future Project (GFP), reinforcing efforts to monitor athletes, competitions, and organisational integrity.

• Integrity Unit Annual Report 2024 in English
• Integrity Unit Annual Report 2024 in Spanish

“Looking ahead, with the LA28 Olympic Games on the horizon, the WBSC Integrity Unit remains committed to advancing both internally and externally,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “We will continue to support our Continental Associations and Member Federations, with the shared goal of protecting our athletes and strengthening the integrity of our sport across all levels.”

The WBSC Integrity Unit (WBSC IU) Anti-Doping Team allocated extensive human, financial, and material resources to establish a comprehensive anti-doping program for 2024 in partnership with the International Testing Agency (ITA). Key areas were planning and coordination of in and out of competition testing, assessment of the risks in baseball/softball, regulatory compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and the management of education programs among other numerous activities.

In 2023/24, the WBSC participated in the Fifth Review of International Federation Governance, conducted by the ASOIF Governance Task Force. As part of this process, WBSC conducted a gap analysis to better define its strategic directions and goals. As a result, WBSC was once again placed in Group A2, achieving the highest score among IFs with similar staff numbers and the second highest among those with comparable revenue. Additionally, WBSC was recognised among the 10 best-performing IFs for 15 out of 40 indicators.

The WBSC Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (PMC) Rules align with the Olympic Agenda 2020+5. To strengthen its purpose and be in line with the Olympic Charter, the rules have been enforced in the WBSC Statutes at the same level as WADA Code.

Sportradar Integrity Services has monitored and conducted manual coverage checks during the 2024 WBSC tournaments to detect any suspicious betting and potential match-fixing activities. No suspicious activity was detected when bookmakers were available, as well as no cases were reported for competition manipulation or illegal betting.

WBSC continued to enhance safeguarding guidelines at WBSC events. There were five cases on harassment and abuse reported for the year 2024, four of which occurred during the WBSC World Cups. Each report was promptly addressed in coordination with the involved parties and resolved with revocation of the individual’s accreditation for the event, mandatory safeguarding education, training, or recertification for the team involved and notification of relevant authorities and organisations within the appropriate jurisdiction.

In an ever-evolving world, the importance of sustainable practices has become paramount. The WBSC is committed to promoting environmental responsibility through impactful initiatives and strategic partnerships. With the continuation of the partnership with Green Future Project (GFP), the WBSC has been supporting environmental projects in Madagascar, Ecuador and India.