ASADA boss David Sharpe takes leadership of new Sports Integrity Agency

The federal government announced on Sunday the appointment of Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency boss David Sharpe as chief executive of Sports Integrity Australia, a newly formed agency due to start operations on July 1.

Sports Integrity Australia will amalgamate ASADA, the National Integrity in Sport Unit and anti-corruption functions of Sport Australia, into one body.

In Sharpe's words, it's a "one stop shop" for sports integrity coordination, managing doping, match fixing, sports wagering and corruption in sport.

Sharpe, a former Assistant Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, says the greatest threat sport faces is the infilitration of organised crime.

But the agency's immediate challenge would be protecting the integrity of sport and leading it through the global coroanvirus pandemic.

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"The coronavirus is the immediate threat, the commercial and economic impacts from it on sports," Sharpe said.

"The main challenges are how we get sport back to an ability where they can understand the integrity threats at risk, how they deal with that and educate athletes.

"One of the biggest issues is how we educate athletes to understand they are at risk of organised crime infiltration. If they understand what the threats are, they'll be able to make better decisions.

"Now, more than ever, is when we need to step up and take a leadership role and guide sports back through this.

"This really is a chance to reset sport and for us to provide a leading and assisting role to get sports back up and running again. That's certainly where I'll be focusing my efforts."

The formation of Sports Integrity Australia was one of the key recommendations from the government-commissioned review into the nation's sports integrity arrangements.

Sharpe will lead the agency for five years, bringing experience from his leading roles at ASADA and the AFP.

"I think we can bring the focus from ASADA from over the last couple of years, around engagement with and listening to sports, as well as the different bodies that have stakeholders in sport," Sharpe said.

"The ability to listen but also the ability to bring them to the table and coordinate a response.

"We've also invested heavily into our education and awareness campaigns, expanding them beyond just anti-doping and ethical decision making is going to be critical going forward.

"For me, being a Wagga boy who had a dream of playing rugby league and coming to Canberra to do that, then going on to have a policing career - I'm really looking forward to combining my two passions."

Sharpe moved to Canberra from Wagga Wagga as an 18-year-old to play juniors for the Canberra Raiders. He's also had a couple of stints as the reserve grade's assistant coach and as football manager.

He says the agency's role as a sports protector will impact grassroots and community level sport, as well as elite athletes.

"Sport is part of Australian culture and we need to protect it for everyone in the community," Sharpe said.

"If sport is compromised or unfair, if there's infiltration, cheating, doping or match fixing - it can really change the face of sport and its culture in the community."