The event titled “Safe Sport in Practice” was held with great success and strong attendance at the Amphitheatre of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, bringing together representatives from the sports, academic, and scientific communities.

It was co-organized by the Hellenic Olympic Committee’s Ethics Commission, the International Olympic Academy, and EAGLE Sports Integrity Services, with the shared goal of promoting a sport rooted in integrity and values, that places athlete safety, dignity, and well-being at its core.

The conference opened with remarks by Dr. Charilaos Tsolakis, President of the International Olympic Academy, followed by a presentation entitled “Ethics Committees of Sports Federations as Channels of Trust and Protection: The Role of the Ethics Commission.” by Georgios Konstantopoulos, lawyer and member of the HOC Ethics Commission,

The first roundtable discussion, “From Silence to Accountability: The Sports Environment, the Role of Media, and the Need for Systemic Prevention in Addressing Interpersonal Violence,” was moderated by Ioannis Kapos, President of the HOC Ethics Commission. The discussion explored the causes and conditions that allow interpersonal violence to emerge and persist in sport, as well as the role of media and the importance of systemic prevention.

Participants included Niki Bakogianni, Olympic silver medalist in the high jump, who spoke about abusive behaviors that were once normalized in sport due to fear of reporting or stigmatization; Dr. Georgios Nikolaidis, psychiatrist, who highlighted the role of media visibility in raising awareness and supporting early identification of abusive behaviors; Dr. Ani Chroni, Professor of Sport Psychology, who discussed cultural barriers and the impact of patriarchal and performance-driven models in sport; and Elsa Arapi, Director of Sports Rights at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), who emphasized that media coverage often overlooks victim trauma, contributing to re-victimization.

The second part of the event, titled “Tools for Implementing Safe Sport and the Economic Dimension of Integrity in Sport,” featured a presentation by Professor Georgia Yfantidou of Democritus University of Thrace on “The Economic Dimension of Sport and Safe Sport.” She highlighted the importance of institutional cooperation and the development of educational tools, including the first university-level handbook on Safe Sporting Events, created within the framework of a formal cooperation agreement.

Panagiotis Panoutsos Talkovski, Founder and President of EAGLE Sports Integrity Services, presented practical tools for implementing Safe Sport principles and integrating them into sports entertainment environments. Angeliki Arkadi, General Director of AEK FC, shared best practices from professional football under the theme “Safety and Inclusion.”

Fotini Karamanlaki, Head of the Ethics Commission and member of the Ministry of Sports Standing Committee on Athlete Safety and Well-being, presented the Hellenic Olympic Committee’s involvement in the European GUARD project on child protection in sport.

A brief intervention was delivered by Kyriakos Katsoras, Vice President of the Ethics Commission, followed by the awarding of participation certificates to federation representatives involved in the GUARD project.

The event concluded with remarks and key takeaways presented by Dora Palli-Petralia, member of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the Ethics Commission, and Secretary General of the Hellenic Olympic Academy.