SAFEGUARDING OFFICERS AT TRINBAGO 2023

Some of our Sport Integrity Australia team joined the Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) headquarter staff to support the delivery of a safe and fair games on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.

This was the second time CGA appointed Sport Integrity Australia staff into their HQ team for a Games, following on from the success and learnings of its inaugural implementation at Birmingham 2022.

Australia's High Commissioner Sonya Koppe hosted a welcome function for athletes, their families and officials in Trinidad, which was followed by a fantastic opening ceremony in Trinidad with plenty of music, dancing and local characters to entertain the crowd.

Another highlight for our two reps, Katie Liddle and Emma Lappin (pictured below), included working with the amazing local volunteers who went above and beyond to assist and support the Australian athletes and officials. There were, however, frequent challenges around transportation to training/competition venues as some venues were still being built when pre-competition training and venue familiarisation were taking place.

Katie said it was amazing to see sporting organisations like CGA commit to safeguarding, especially in the high-performance environment.

“Awesome events like Trinbago 2023 provide athletes and officials the opportunity to learn more about the importance of ensuring the physical, emotional and psychological safety of all involved while allowing for a fun and successful sporting experience,” she said.