The president of COB – Brazilian Olympic Committee, Paulo Wanderley, stated that he is totally in favor of sports betting, as long as it is “well controlled, supervised and with the participation of all”. This is one of the main demands that the leader intends to discuss with parliamentarians in Brasilia: “The most urgent demand, I did not address it as urgent, but since it is dealing with sports betting issues and there is a bill, which will be processed shortly, [the demand] is that they involve more sports, in fact.”
For him, “we are the actors in this process. Sports betting, sport. So let's get the sports entities involved. I'm not just saying the Olympic Committee, no. The confederations, the clubs, the Ministry of Sport, the Brazilian Olympic Committee, the Paralympic Committee, everyone,” he said.
Wanderley said that “we have to see what the government will define and determine in terms of control. We already have an area within the COB studying the issue of earnings manipulation. We already have this concern. And concern in the sense of anticipating, not that anything has happened. In our opinion, the COB and the Paralympic Committee have to be involved in this process.”
In his evaluation, “if it's an Olympic sport, we have to be careful with, I wouldn't say control, but supervision. For example, this game, this modality, really happened, it is within international rules, within Brazilian rules and here is our support. We are totally in favor of betting as long as it is well controlled, supervised and with everyone's participation.”
In June, he plans to travel to Singapore to attend the Olympic eSports Series, an event held by the International Olympic Committee as “the next big step in supporting the development of virtual sports.” He admits that he may review his position after the trip.
“I'll be there to, who knows, change my mind,” he told Folha pointing that he is against equating traditional sports with electronic games. "As I've understood for 60 years, it's not sport."
Graduated in physical education, judoka and president of COB since 2017, Wanderley shares the same opinion recently expressed by the Minister of Sports, Ana Moser. For them, so-called eSports are part of the entertainment industry.
“If it is within our way of thinking about Olympism, values such as respect, excellence, friendship, solidarity, we will make [a team]. Otherwise, only in the next incarnation.”
The IOC's objective is that this happens much sooner. The entity treats the entry of eSports in the Olympic program as a matter of time. They would take the place of sports that are losing appeal with the new generations, the committee's executives' target audience.
For the event in Singapore, nine titles were chosen by the entity. All are virtual simulators of traditional sports or involve physical activity, basic conditions to be part of the Olympic program in the future.
"What the IOC decides, I'll do. Will there be [eSports] in the Olympics? So let's put together a team, let's take it and let's win. Brazilians are good at this business," says Wanderley.
Not that this is a concern of the COB president at this moment, after all electronic games will not be present at the Paris Olympics, in 2024.
For now, the top hat is focused on other topics, such as Brazil's performance in France and the expansion of the COB's presence in Brasília to discuss sports laws, such as the regulation of sports betting.
After Brazil achieved its best performance at an Olympics in Tokyo [record number of medals (21), same number of golds (7) as in the 2016 Games and the best position in the overall ranking (12th)], what is the goal of the COB for the Paris Games?
I have always worked, wherever I have been, overcoming what has already happened. What happened, the story, goes into the books, stays behind and serves as a lesson for you to improve. So, my goal with regard to results is always to surpass what was the past.
Can you quantify this improvement in any way?
I work with goals and our goal for the Olympic Games in Paris is to surpass the performance in Tokyo, whether in terms of the number of medals, gold medals or the number of athletes going to compete for medals.
How do you think the government should treat sport?
Sport is a matter of State all over the world. That's why the recreation of the Ministry of Sports was good, we had that expectation. It was not good when the ministry left [and became a special secretariat] because it loses relevance, the approximation with the government in fact and by law. [Without a ministry], you have to take stairs to reach the presidency.
Do you share Minister Ana Moser's opinion regarding electronic sports?
It's not that I'm against eSports. The activity of electronic games is recognized as very lucrative worldwide. But they don't need to be inside the [Olympic] Games. Their games already have publicity, supporters, results, so they don't need us. That's my opinion. The minister commented on not recognizing it as a sport. As a sport, as we understand it, as I understand sport for 60 years, it's not a sport. It is an entertainment activity that is practiced all over the world and does not need us to establish itself on the world stage. Now, I will only take action as a COB when the IOC (International Olympic Committee) has this guideline. Whatever the IOC, which we are affiliated with, decides, I will do. Will you be at the Olympics? So we're going to assemble a team, we're going to take it and we're going to win. Brazilians are good at this business.
In the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro, sport did not have a ministry, but a special secretariat. Did it hurt the sport?
We made our programs, our projects were carried out, they had results. In that sense, there was no damage. What was really missing was that direct connection. This was much more difficult. There was a lot of a 'from here to there' thing and there wasn't a 'let's go together' thing. We have to be together, neither above nor below, collaborating so that the sports gear works. Now, I have a good expectation in that sense.
Does the COB have a representative in Brasilia?
Brasilia is our capital of laws, which gives direction to any and all policies that are practiced. Having close action is very important. Our vice-president, Marco La Porta, is a resident of Brasilia. So it's a path that we have is his relationship. I, particularly, think about being closer to our parliamentarians, to Congress. It is necessary, useful and important for any organization to have representation in Brasilia. That's my vision. It wasn't until now because we didn't have the opportunity.
What is the main demand that you intend to bring to parliamentarians?
The most urgent demand, I didn't address it urgently, but as sports betting issues are being addressed and there is a bill, which will be processed shortly, [the demand] is that they involve more sports, in fact. We are the actors in this process. Sports betting, sport. So let's get the sports entities involved. I'm not just saying the Olympic Committee, no. The confederations, the clubs, the Ministry of Sport, the Brazilian Olympic Committee, the Paralympic Committee, everyone.
How does the COB understand that bets should be handled?
First we have to see what the government will define and determine in terms of control. We already have an area within the COB studying the issue of earnings manipulation. We already have this concern. And concern in the sense of anticipating, not that anything has happened. In our opinion, the COB and the Paralympic Committee have to be involved in this process. For example, if it's an Olympic sport, we have to be careful with, I wouldn't say control, but supervision. For example, this game, this modality, really happened, it is within international rules, within Brazilian rules and here is our support. We are totally in favor of betting as long as it is well controlled, supervised and with everyone's participation.
Source: Folha
