SIGA and US National Fitness Foundation Sign Cooperation Agreement

Washington DC, November 19th, 2018

The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) and the United States National Fitness Foundation (NFF) have formalised their relationship today by entering into a long-standing partnership in the form of a Cooperation Agreement. The agreement will see each party mutually exercise, through international cooperation and a series of action-orientated initiatives, their efforts to achieving their common objective of safeguarding the integrity of sport and promoting youth development and child protection across America. The move marks a significant strategic step for SIGA in its global expansion plan, as 2019 will see SIGA consolidate its position in the United States. Both organisations will work closely together over the next four years to identify and promote the implementation of the highest standards in terms of recruitment, training, education and protection of children and young athletes on their pathways to elite and professional sport. Primary focus is on the implementation of SIGA’s Universal Standards across American sports organisations.

SIGA and NFF will also work together on fundraising initiatives to support each other in achieving their mission of ensuring that all children and young athletes that practice sports can do so in a safe, healthy and trustworthy environment where integrity is pride of place.

Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, CEO of SIGA stated: "Today’s agreement is an important milestone in advancing our reform agenda in the United States. We are honoured that the National Fitness Foundation is partnering with SIGA in the field of youth development and child protection, which is one of our core strategic areas. Next year SIGA will play a major role in the US, where we already have several members and partners with whom we work closely. We believe that through collective action we can drive the change we want to see to safeguard the integrity of sport for future generations, starting with the youth."

Clay Walker, Executive Director of the US National Fitness Foundation comments on the signing of the Cooperation Agreement: "As the National Fitness Foundation embarks on a mission of expanding youth sports participation in the United States, it is critically important that we align with partners such as SIGA that are committed to promoting the highest standards in youth sports training, education and development."

LaRhonda Burley, Vice President, Partnerships & Marketing of the US National Fitness Foundation gave her remarks on this agreement: "The organisational missions of SIGA and NFF naturally align. We share an understanding that sports participation fosters a sense of community, develops leaders and positively impacts society. We look forward to working with SIGA to advance our collective vision of safeguarding and advancing the benefits of sport for all."

About the US National Fitness Foundation

The US National Fitness Foundation is the only congressionally chartered non-profit organisation focused on health & fitness and is the official charity of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition. The Foundation is on a mission to accelerate solutions that prepare children for a lifetime of health & fitness. The Foundation was congressionally chartered as a private non-profit on December 22nd, 2010, when President Barack Obama signed the "National Foundation on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition Establishment Act" (Public Law No: 111-332).

About SIGA

SIGA is the world´s largest independent coalition in the field of sport´s governance and integrity. Supported by more than 100 international multi-industry leading organisations and champions, SIGA is an independent and neutral organisation. Its mission is to bring about meaningful reforms and enhance the integrity of all sports through a set of universal standards operated by an independent and neutral body. SIGA is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.

For the list of SIGA Members & Committed Supporters, please visit http://siga-sport.net/siga-members/.

For more information on SIGA, including its vision, mission and reform agenda, please refer to the website: www.siga-sport.com.

To contact SIGA, please email: comms@siga-sport.com. Find SIGA on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SIGAlliance.

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