INTERNATIONAL FAIR PLAY COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES 2025 WORLD FAIR PLAY AWARD WINNERS

Six recipients honored as the World Fair Play Awards celebrate their 60th anniversary.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PARIS / BUDAPEST — September 22, 2026

The International Fair Play Committee (CIFP) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 World Fair Play Awards, recognizing exceptional acts of integrity, sportsmanship, humanity, and service across international sport.

This year’s awards carry particular significance as the CIFP celebrates the 60th anniversary of the World Fair Play Awards.

The tradition began with an extraordinary act of sportsmanship by Italian bobsleigh legend Eugenio Monti at the Innsbruck 1964 Olympic Winter Games. Monti helped his British rivals repair their bobsleigh, enabling them to continue competing and ultimately win the Olympic title. His act was formally recognized with the first World Fair Play Award in 1965. Six decades later, the awards continue to honor athletes and individuals who demonstrate that the way sport is played matters as much as the final result.

Sunil Sabharwal, President of the International Fair Play Committee, said:

“In an era shaped by algorithmic noise, hyper-competition, and the relentless pressure to win at all costs, fair play has never been more relevant—especially for the next generation. Sixty years ago, Eugenio Monti set this tradition in motion by showing that respect for a rival can matter more than competitive advantage. The champions we honor today carry that same spirit forward. They remind us that true greatness is never measured by scoreboards alone, but by the courage to choose honesty, empathy, and respect when everything is on the line.”

PIERRE DE COUBERTIN TROPHY — FAIR PLAY ACT

The Pierre de Coubertin Trophy recognizes an exceptional act of sportsmanship during competition, particularly when the stakes are at their highest.

For 2025, the CIFP recognizes two recipients:

Carlos Alcaraz — Tennis, Spain

Carlos Alcaraz is honored for an exceptional display of honesty at Roland Garros 2025.

During his fourth-round match against Ben Shelton, Alcaraz informed the chair umpire that he had committed an illegal shot after losing control of his racquet, voluntarily conceding a point that had initially been awarded in his favor. His decision demonstrated one of the most fundamental principles of fair play: choosing honesty over competitive advantage.

Carlos Alcaraz; @Getty Images, By Sam Jacot

Filip Zubčić — Alpine Skiing, Croatia

Filip Zubčić is recognized for self-reporting an undetected fault during competition at the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Gurgl, Austria, in November 2025. Knowing that reporting the infringement would result in his disqualification, Zubčić nevertheless chose to disclose it and accept the consequences, placing honesty and respect for the rules above his own result.

Filip Zubčić

JEAN BOROTRA TROPHY

The Jean Borotra Trophy recognizes either a longstanding commitment to fair play throughout a sporting career or an exceptional embodiment of the spirit of fair play through grace, dignity, and respect.

The 2025 recipient is:

Asia Hogan-Rochester — Rugby, Canada

Asia Hogan-Rochester is recognized for an unscripted gesture of grace toward a rival during the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.       In the immediate aftermath of victory, the Canadian international demonstrated empathy, dignity, and respect toward an opponent—providing a powerful example of how intense sporting rivalry and humanity can coexist at the highest level of international competition. Her actions embodied the spirit of the Jean Borotra Trophy: character revealed not only during competition, but in the moments immediately after it.

Asia Hogan-Rochester; @Getty Images, by David Rogers

WILLI DAUME TROPHY — PROMOTION OF FAIR PLAY

The Willi Daume Trophy recognizes those who promote the principles of fair play beyond the field of competition and who use sport as a force for inclusion, opportunity, and human development.

The 2025 recipient is:

Ufuk Timer — Türkiye

Ufuk Timer is recognized for his sustained voluntary work bringing sporting opportunities to orphaned, disadvantaged, and disabled children across Türkiye, particularly through table tennis and flag football. His long-term commitment demonstrates the wider social meaning of fair play: using sport to create inclusion, opportunity, dignity, and community for young people who might otherwise be excluded from participation.

Ufuk Timer

SPECIAL FAIR PLAY AWARDS

In addition to the three principal World Fair Play Award categories, the CIFP is honored to recognize the recipients of two special awards linked respectively to the Olympic Games and World Athletics, both of which continue longstanding CIFP traditions.

MILANO CORTINA 2026 FAIR PLAY AWARD

The Milano Cortina 2026 Fair Play Award, selected through a combined jury and public vote, is presented to:

Ilia Malinin — Figure Skating, United States

Ilia Malinin receives the award for the exemplary character he displayed during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Following a difficult men’s individual competition in which he fell from first position to eighth, Malinin put aside his own disappointment to warmly congratulate and celebrate Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan. The spontaneous moment demonstrated respect for another athlete’s achievement even amid profound personal disappointment—a powerful expression of the Olympic spirit and the values of fair play. The CIFP has recognized outstanding demonstrations of fair play at the Olympic Games since Beijing 2008, continuing a tradition that connects today’s athletes with the enduring ethical values of the Olympic Movement.

Ilia Malinin; Jared C. Tilton/2026 Getty Images

CIFP / WORLD ATHLETICS FAIR PLAY AWARD

The CIFP / World Athletics Fair Play Award, a joint recognition whose tradition dates back to 2003, is awarded for 2025 to:

Tim Van de Velde — Athletics, Steeplechase, Belgium

During the men’s 3,000m steeplechase heats at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, Tim Van de Velde turned back near the finish line to assist injured Colombian athlete Carlos San Martín, helping him cross the line and sacrificing his own time in the process. His actions demonstrated that even at the highest level of elite competition, compassion for a fellow athlete can take precedence over personal performance. The moment provided a striking reminder that some of sport’s most meaningful victories are measured not by finishing position, but by humanity.

Tim Van de Velde

The recipients will be honored during a special 60th anniversary commemorative celebration on October 11, 2026, at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The event will bring together members of the international sporting community to celebrate this year’s recipients and the enduring values of integrity, respect, friendship, and fair play.

Further information on the World Fair Play Awards and the International Fair Play Committee can be found at:

www.fairplayinternational.org
www.fairplayamericas.org

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL FAIR PLAY COMMITTEE

The International Fair Play Committee (CIFP) is an IOC-recognized organization founded in 1963 by UNESCO and leading international sports governing bodies.

For more than six decades, the CIFP has served as an international advocate for the ethical values at the heart of sport, recognizing individuals and organizations that place integrity, respect, and the human spirit above victory at any cost.

Through its prestigious World Fair Play Awards, international partnerships, educational activities, and global initiatives, the CIFP works to preserve and advance the fundamental values of sport—respect, friendship, and fair play—for future generations.

MEDIA CONTACT

International Fair Play Committee (CIFP)

-office@fairplayinternational.org

-secretarygeneral@fairplayinternational.org