Sport and recreation are a major part of Australia’s way of life and its social history. They draw people together, and act as a bridge to overcome differences in culture, values, genders, age, language and ability. They also provide significant physical, social, economic and community benefits.
The Victorian Billiards and Snooker Association (VBSA), in conjunction with the Australian Billiards & Snooker Council (ABSC) and the other State associations have worked hard to foster and maintain a healthy and inclusive culture in the sport.
To help ensure that all members enjoy their snooker and billiards fully, VBSA, the ABSC and the other State associations have adopted identical policies under the National Integrity Framework (NIF) with the support and guidance of the national coordination agency for sport integrity threats Sport Integrity Australia.
The NIF is designed to help all participants – from club players and officials through to National champions - manage issues relating to competition-manipulation, doping, child safety, discrimination and abuse. Importantly, it sets out a clear and consistent process for dealing with any problems that arise, at all levels of the sport.
The VBSA thinks adoption of the NIF is an important and positive step in helping us make snooker and billiards more accessible, fun and safe to play for generations of participants to come.
What does Sport Integrity Mean?
In the recently developed Strategic Plan the ABSC Board adopted Integrity as one of the cornerstone values which should guide behaviour in all aspects of our sport. The Board believes that:
Honesty, transparency and accountability are fundamental to our approach to running and participating in the sport, underpinned by an absolute commitment to fair play and applying our rules and processes with consistency and impartiality.
In the context of snooker and billiards this means that our players, officials and spectators can participate in and enjoy the sport, confident in the knowledge that they are part of a safe, fair, and inclusive environment.
All of our members and anyone else involved at any level with snooker and billiards have an obligation to protect and maintain the integrity of our sport, as well as the health and wellbeing of everyone involved – Protecting Snooker and Billiards Together
