Sunil Sabharwal accelerates globalisation of Fair Play as the new CIFP President
American Sunil Sabharwal is poised to usher in a new era for the Fair Play movement. On May 19, the inaugural World Fair Play Day, as recognised by the United Nations, the former U.S. board member to the International Monetary Fund was elected unopposed as the fifth President of the International Fair Play Committee.
CIFP is an organisation that preserves and promotes respect for the spirit of fair play, which is a fundamental principle in all sports.
“I am honoured to lead the CIFP from this point onwards. It is a committee that I have been involved with for over 20 years, first as Treasurer, then as Secretary General. So, I know the organization and the mission very well,” Sabharwal, 61, told AIPS in an interview.
Sabharwal, a former NCAA All-American and Big Ten Champion in fencing, has been deeply involved in the sports world for decades. As part of his core priorities as CIFP President, he aims to expand the movement’s reach and deepen its engagement with underrepresented regions and sports.
ORIGIN OF CIFP In December 1963, the “International Committee for the Organisation of the Pierre de Coubertin Fair Play Awards” was established in Paris by representatives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), International Sports Press Association (AlPS), International Committee for Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) and the International Federations of basketball, football, rugby and wrestling, in order to bring to the public’s attention honourable acts of sports. French tennis star Jean Borotra, who won titles at the Australian, French and Wimbledon in the 1920s and ‘30s was elected as the first President. He was representing ICSSPE.
CIFP AWARDS The first World Fair Play Awards Ceremony was held in January 1965 and currently CIFP has four trophies: the Pierre de Coubertin World Trophy, which is given to an athlete or team for an act of fair play; the Jean Borotra World Trophy, an individual career award; Willi Daume World Trophy, presented to a person or organization promoting fair play; and the Fair Play Trophy for the Youth, which is named after the 8th IOC President, Jacques Rogge, the driving force behind the creation of the Youth Olympic Games. In addition to the trophies, the CIFP also offers letters of congratulations and diplomas.
One of the highlights of this year’s Awards gala, which took place in Budapest on 19 May, was outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach, receiving the prestigious Jean Borotra Trophy for his distinguished career.
WORLD FAIR PLAY DAY May 19, 2025, the inaugural World Fair Play Day, was celebrated to the fullest in Budapest with a series of events, including a meeting of the CIFP Council, a General Assembly, and Awards Gala. “I think it's important to know that it is not that easy to achieve this kind of designation to be on the UN calendar. It took us over 10 years of work, starting through the UNESCO offices in Paris and ultimately weaving our way through the UN in New York,” Sabharwal explained. The United Nations recognized 19 May as “World Fair Play Day” at its General Assembly in June 2024.
SPORTSMANSHIP OVER WINNING The Fair Play movement promotes the concept of sportsmanship over winning, and the selfless act of Italian bobsledder Eugenio Monti at the 1964 Innsbruck Winter Games remains a timeless reference. Monti earned the first Pierre de Coubertin Fair Play Trophy after he helped his rivals Tony Nash and Robin Dixon win gold medals when he loaned them an axle bolt to replace theirs that had broken. Monti would settle for a bronze medal. Decades later, the reward for winning is increasing - prize money, sponsorship opportunities, media exposure - and so is the temptation to cheat, Sabharwal said. But the CIFP continues to tackle this challenge by accentuating positive examples.
FAIR PLAY IN THE ERA OF SOCIAL MEDIA “Putting sportsmanship ahead of winning is a theme that we have tried to keep over time, and now with the evolution of technology there's a lot of talk about the impact of social media on mental health these days,” Sabharwal said.
He recalled how Olympic pole vault bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw found herself on the receiving end of trolls at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene following her withdrawal from competition due to a freak accident. “Now, of course, these people have no idea what it actually takes to sprint down a runway with that pole in your hand. It’s demanding, both physically and mentally,” Sabharwal added. He praised the gesture of other athletes, in particular Katie Nageotte, who expressed their support for Bradshaw on social media. “Even though they are competitors, they took the time during the competition to tell the so-called fans to stop this social media barrage on her.”
LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY While the CIFP is monitoring the negative effects of social media, it is also aware of the benefits of technology. “I see the evolution of technology helping the committee in a number of ways,” Sabharwal explained. “First of all, being able to find fantastic moments of sportsmanship around the world with the World Wide Web and sifting through with simple AI searches. Second, coming back to World Fair Play Day, we had a pretty extensive social media campaign, pushing hashtags, and we reached millions of engagements, which the Fair Play Committee had never achieved before. So, I'm hoping that with AI and social media we're going to be able to spread our word much more effectively than in the past, and that is actually one of the key things I'll be focusing on. We have traditionally been, I would say, a fairly Eurocentric movement, even though now we have members from Japan, India and the Americas, but to really make an impact around the globe, technology will enable that to happen much more easily.”
GLOBALISATION OF THE FAIR PLAY MOVEMENT In a bid to expand the movement’s frontiers, Sabharwal is planning to strategically fill the vacant seats on the CIFP Council with people from regions that are not yet represented in the body. “For instance, we've had African members in the past but currently we don't. So basically reaching out and filling those holes so when you look at the committee, let's say, a year from now, it really looks like a global organisation - well balanced, diverse, and fully representative of the world we live in. That is going to be one of my areas of focus in the next 12 months or so.
“The Fair Play Committee was founded in Paris, so from a legal perspective it is a French charity. We have created an affiliate in the USA, a non-profit entity called Fair Play Americas, which was designed for the Pan-American region. We would like to build on this and create affiliate networks on every continent, subcontinent. That will take a little longer, but there is a lot of interest in partnering with us on this, because this is a cause that sports leaders and political leaders want to get behind. They see the power of sport together with fair play, bringing everyone together.”
FAIR PLAY IN DIFFERENT SPORTS The CIFP is also striving to leave its mark across different sports. “We are present at the Olympic Games with a Fair Play Award specific to those Games. We are present at other multi-sports events, such as the World University Games, again, with a Fair Play Award, and a few of the sports have specifically called us to develop and design a Fair Play Award for their specific sport,” said Sabharwal. He mentioned collaborations with World Athletics, fencing, judo and karate but emphasised that there’s more work to be done. “Of course, this is resource intensive in many ways, both time and money, but I will try and reach out to all the International Federations and also to the National Olympic Committees.”
TEAMWORK At the first Council meeting he presided over as CIFP President, Sabharwal urged the members of the Committee, which include Prince Albert of Monaco (as honorary member), and Princess Nora of Liechtenstein, to think about how they, with their diverse expertise, can contribute to revamping the Fair Play movement and attracting partnerships and sponsorships. Sabharwal said his experience and network from his blossoming career in international finance will also be put to use for the advancement of the movement. And very importantly he wants the CIFP to become “a kind of centre of intellectual prowess around this topic of fair play, sportsmanship, sports ethics.” A place where academicians and researchers around the world can easily find publications on the aforementioned topics. “That is one of the medium to long term visions I have, and I feel we will fill a void in that when it comes to looking at the sports world.”
MESSAGE TO THE SPORTS COMMUNITY Sabharwal’s message to the sports community is: “Please accentuate the positives in your sport on and off the field, and spread that message with your organisers, your referees, your coaches, your athletes, and your supporters and fans. When you see something exceptional, don't just applaud it there on the scene, please bring it to the attention of the entire world, to the International Fair Play Committee [www.fairplayinternational.org] Let us help you amplify your message.” The CIFP can be found on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube
LAUSANNE, June 2, 2025, Source: Chibuogwu Nnadiegbulam - AIPS Media
