Asian Racing Federation strengthens integrity taskforce
Horseracing body adds former police commissioner and INTERPOL manager to bolster anti-match-fixing efforts
The Asian Racing Federation (ARF) has confirmed the appointments of Graham Ashton and Claudio Marinelli to its Anti-Illegal Betting Taskforce to increase its expertise in combatting suspicious betting in the Asian-horseracing industry.
A former chief commissioner of the Victoria Police, Graham Ashton set up Victoria Police’s Sporting Integrity Unit, one of the first law enforcement units anywhere dedicated to combatting match-fixing, which is widely regarded as the leading police sports integrity unit in the world.
Claudio Marinelli most recently served as project manager of supranational police organisation INTERPOL’s Match-Fixing Taskforce, which works to stop international match-fixing cartels.
INTERPOL’s operations involve law enforcement agencies from around the world in a global network of match-fixing investigators which share intelligence and best practices in dealing with integrity threats.
The ARF is a regional federation comprising 28 racing authorities and racing-related organisations, spread from New Zealand to South Africa. Among its core objectives is the promotion of integrity in the sport of horseracing.
Established in 2017, the ARF’s Anti-Illegal Betting Taskforce includes individuals from organisations engaged in racing and sports integrity, law enforcement, intergovernmental agencies, and academia.
It aims to research the scale and negative impacts of illegal betting and associated financial crime risk, particularly as it relates to racing integrity, while also collaborating with international stakeholders to raise awareness of potential issues within the sport.
With the addition of these new members, the taskforce now comprises 14 experts in sports and racing integrity, law enforcement, academia and intergovernmental relations.
ARF Anti-Illegal Betting Taskforce chairman Martin Purbrick cited the decades of experience of both men in combatting international sports corruption linked to illegal betting and other financial crimes as being invaluable to the federation.
“Graham Ashton’s vast knowledge of and passion for horseracing, his leadership of sports integrity and his status as a well-regarded senior police officer will be of huge benefit to the Taskforce and the ARF,” said Purbrick.
“INTERPOL’s Match-Fixing Task Force is one of the world’s leading bodies dedicated to combatting sports corruption and the ARF Taskforce is delighted to engage with it and its project manager, Claudio Marinelli, who likewise has huge experience in the field of sports integrity,” he added.