SANTA SUSANNA, May 2, 2024 – Amid the joy that it gives, the world of sports is, unfortunately, constantly faced with a wide range of issues like child abuse, corruption, fraud and match-fixing. Across different sports, the latest recipients of the AIPS Investigative Reporting Award shed light on these dark sides. The three senior winners were David Mark (Australia), Markus Harm (Germany) and Quentin Moynet (France). And for the first time, two Investigative Young Reporters prizes were awarded: Linda Ngari (Kenya) and Marah Yousef and Muaz Zreiqi (Jordan).

The Investigative Reporting category which is not open to submissions recognises and honours the bravery of journalists who risk even their lives to expose the ills of sports. On Monday night, the awards were presented by AIPS President Gianni Merlo and Olympic legend Edwin Moses.

David Mark (Australia): After almost 30 years, these women are finally seeing justice for the abuse they suffered as children

This piece, published on ABC, was the result of a three-year investigation which helped to secure a 13-year prison sentence for a serial paedophile in rock climbing, Stephen Mitchell. Mark described the feature as “a compassionate yet hard-hitting expose of how Mitchell systemically abused six children in Australia over 14 years, and raised questions about how a serial paedophile was able to work in leading sports institutions despite multiple warnings.” The award-winning submission was part of the ABC series that told the stories of multiple victims of Mitchell, who was arrested in February 2022. Mark was recognised by the Australian Federal Police with a medal from the AFP’s Operation Pyrite, with the Chief Investigator saying his reporting “directly affected the outcomes of the investigation” into Mitchell and had “brought resolution to numerous victims of child sexual assault.”

Markus Harm (Germany): The Boxing Scandal – the end of Olympic Boxing?

This is an investigation into the scandal rocking Olympic boxing. ZDF’s Harm discovered documents that revealed the lies of Umar Kremlev, the president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), and why the IOC and the IBA were at loggerheads. As a consequence, ZDF was not allowed to cover the 2023 World Championships. They were denied accreditation. However, not long after the 10-minute documentary was published the IOC withdrew its recognition of the IBA and the future of Olympic boxing is currently in jeopardy. 

Quentin Moynet (France): Les galériens du tennis / Welcome to the jungle

Beneath the glitters of the highest level of tennis competitions lie the “downgraded” Challengers and Futures, which L’Equipe’s Moynet found to be riddled with financial misery, shabby hotels, ruined courts and the temptation of fixing. Moynet takes readers into this jungle to show the other face of professional tennis.

Linda Ngari (Kenya): Future Football Finance: How a UK Pyramid Scheme Spread in Kenya Conning Hundreds of Betting Enthusiasts Online

In her investigative piece, Ngari uncovered how a UK-registered betting firm used the World Cup to swindle Kenyan football enthusiasts. But the company’s CEO does not exist, its registered address is fake and so are its employees. This Ponzi scheme, which used models from Dubai to pose as CEO and employees, offered rewards such as tickets to the World Cup, for referrals but soon disappeared, leaving investors in the lurch. Ngari revealed the devastating impact that fraudulent betting schemes can have on unsuspecting individuals and highlighted the importance of being vigilant and cautious while investing.

Marah Yousef, Muaz Zreiqi (Jordan): Jordanian Cyclists Quit the Sport Due to Poor Safety Provisions

Yousef and Zreiqi brought to the fore the dangers faced by cyclists that belong to Jordanian Cycling Federation. In case of accidents and injuries to cyclists, the national cycling governing body does little to nothing to improve the welfare of the affected, instead there are some loose instructions that deny the injured the right to treatment and subsequently make them withdraw their membership.