ISOH Features Exclusive Interview with CIFP President Sunil Sabharwal
The International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH) featured an article on newly elected CIFP President Sunil Sabharwal, highlighting his vision to globalize the International Committee for Fair Play by broadening non-European membership and reinforcing its role within both the UN and the Olympic Movement. He emphasized that World Fair Play Day and its online campaign reached millions around the world...
Newly elected President Sunil Sabharwal has called for the “globalisation” of the International Committee for Fair Play (CIFP). “One of my main objectives for success is that we take something with a very strong European core and globalise that. It means a number of things, particularly, including the membership of our council having more non-Europeans,” Sabharwal explained. He was elected unopposed to the role in Budapest on May 19th, now designated “World Fair Play Day,” by the United Nations (UN). “That provides us with an anchor into using that link to spread awareness globally so the timing was perfect. We have a unique position because we not only sit within the Olympic Family but also in the UN through UNESCO. We are the only such organisation and I feel we need to leverage that.”
An online campaign was launched to promote World Fair Play Day and attracted five million engagements worldwide. “This a lot more than the Fair Play message had ever received before. I do think that people are yearning for “feelgood” stories. I feel if we are successful getting the message out then there will actually be real interest in that message” Sabharwal said. “We came up with #worldfairplayday and #justplayfair. We had a million plus engagements in China and a million plus in the United States. You can tell it was a global message, that was a start.”
Sabharwal is only the fifth CIFP President since its foundation in 1963. He also sat on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Sport & Environment, Commission(subsequently renamed the Sustainability and Legacy Commission) for nearly 20 years and has been a World Athletics Executive Board member since 2019. He had served on the International Fencing Federation (FIE) Board and in 2011, led the organising committee for the FIE Congress in Philadelphia, the first to be held in the United States. He also chaired the local organising committee when the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) General Assembly was held in Washington in 2015. Sabharwal has already been with CIFP for over 20 years, both as Treasurer and General Secretary, working with double Olympic fencing medallist Jenő Kamuti who has led the organisation for the last 25 years. “I do think that getting the message out has become more difficult over the years, perhaps decades as the stakes are significantly higher. Sports have professionalised which is a good thing on one side of course, but with that comes increased prize money, increased pressure, which could be the antithesis to fair play, that’s why our role becomes even more important.”
The growth of social media has also seen an increase in the phenomenon of online abuse. “It is something that nobody would have thought of 10 years ago, it is a topic we need to watch,” admitted Sabharwal. In 2022, the CIFP gave an award to pole vaulter Katie Moon who defended her rival Holly Bradshaw after she suffered online abuse following her withdrawal from the World Athletics Championships with an injury. “We now have organisations such as the IOC and World Athletics putting in mechanisms to catch some of the abuse, but that is something we also need to look at from a fair play perspective,” Sabharwal added. “Sports betting could also create this kind of social media pressure adding more complexity.”
The CIFP relationship with the IOC has also developed rapidly in the new millennium after IOC President Jacques Rogge launched the Youth Olympic Games in 2010. “This created a natural platform for us to go as part of the cultural education programme and be there with messages of ethical conduct and fair play,” continued Sabharwal. Earlier this year IOC President Thomas Bach was presented with the Jean Borotra Trophy, named after the CIFP Founder. Sabharwal has already been in touch with new IOC President Kirsty Coventry about extending cooperation. “I really want the committee to be looked at as the reference organisation on the topics of sport ethics, sportsmanship, fair play, the – first place people turn to,” he said.
CIFP Presidents:
1963–1988: Jean Borotra (FRA)
1988–1996: Willi Daume (GER)
1997–1999: Louis Guirandou N’Diaye (CIV)
2000–2025: Jenő Kamuti (HUN)
2025– Sunil Sabharwal (USA)
@ International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH)
