SIGA Youth Council appoints EPIC’s Gherghel as co-chair
EPIC Global Solutions’ research manager Anca-Maria Gherghel is set to jointly lead a global panel tasked with informing policy for the benefit of youth sports around the world.
Alongside South African sports presenter Likhaya Ntlokonkulu, Anca has been appointed as co-chair of the Sports Integrity Youth Alliance (SIGA) Youth Council for 2024/25.
Bringing together 18 experts in sports, law and compliance from countries as diverse as Nigeria, Brazil, Portugal, Cyprus, Switzerland, Iran, Netherlands and USA, Romanian-born Gherghel will be representing her current home nation of England on the council, with her remit being to lead on the research and knowledge component of the collective.
The members of the council – each aged between 18 and 29 – bring skillsets relating to different areas of sporting integrity, such as good governance, sponsorship, social good, sustainability, diplomacy and law, with their proposals then offered as best practice for any sporting organisations working with youth or junior players, though a mix of platforms including presentations, media appearances and social media campaigns.
“I am really excited to have joined the SIGA Youth Council for the 2024/25 term as co-chair alongside Likhaya Ntlokonkulu,” explained Gherghel.
“Using the research experience and knowledge I have gained over the past five years, I look forward to working on designing and delivering integrity-related research projects to promote integrity in youth sports.
“Promoting integrity at this level helps ensure young people are part of a safe, fair and inclusive environment.
“The SIGA Youth Council will also help attract more young people to this cause as listening to their voices in crucial in making a real, positive change.”
Joining co-chairs Gherghel and Ntloknkulu on the Youth Council for the 2024/25 term are:
- Ana Beatriz Mori (Government and International Relations Analyst, Associação pela Indústria e Comércio Esportivo (ÁPICE)) – Brazil
- André Calapez (Consultant, YFM I Researcher, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon) – Portugal
- Aristides Costeas (Sports Integrity Consultant, APC Compliance, SIGA Member / Programs Executive, Sports Financial Literacy Academy) – Cyprus
- Augusto Cesar Piaskoski Piaskoski (Lawyer, Sports Compliance and Governance) – Brazil
- Brian Kavuma (Business Growth & Development Officer, Double Pass) – Belgium
- Chukwuemeka Obijiaku, Co-Founder, The Wellspring Project I Committee Member, U.S. Sports Pharmacy Group I YALI 2023 Fellow – Nigeria
- Ella Joanes (Live Match Supervisor, UEFA) – Switzerland
- Helia Asghari Totmaj (Table tennis coach, Spin Club I Impact Manager, Rising Stars Project) – Iran
- Kemal Mohamedou (Masters in International Public Policy, University College London (UCL) I Common Futures Conversations Member, Chatham House) – England
- Kryštof Gogela (Bachelor in Marketing Management, Fontys University of Applied Sciences I Podcaster, The Twelfth Man) – The Netherlands
- Mouad Benouzekri (Ph.D. student, Tofail’s University and the Hungarian Sports University) – Morocco
- Eden Horton (Government and Legal Studies Student, Bowdoin College) – USA
- Nelly Nkatha Mutuma(Table Tennis Player, National Team of Kenya) – Kenya
- Nour Shamala (Senior Sports Account Executive & Freelance Graphic Designer) – Egypt
- Petra Bukić (Administrative Water Polo Assistant, European Aquatics, SIGA Member) – Croatia
- Reginalda Obara (Associate, Salim Mohamed & Associates Advocates) – Kenya
EPIC and SIGA have worked together to raise awareness of gambling-related harm within sport since signing an accord in early 2023, including delivering a keynote panel on the issue during the SIGA Female Leadership in Sport Summit, hosted in New York in March 2024, which you can watch here.
