The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stated that Ng Ser Miang acted in full accordance with its rules, rejecting allegations of conflict of interest concerning his involvement in esports-related activities and family business interests.
The IOC’s response came after a report by Sport & Politics, a German news website, claimed that a complaint had been filed with the IOC Ethics Commission against Ng.
The complaint reportedly accused Ng of “mixing his many positions with family business in several respects” in connection with the Olympic Esports Week and the upcoming Olympic Esports Games.
In response to queries from CNA, the IOC confirmed that its Ethics Commission had reviewed the matter and concluded that Ng was in full conformity with the Olympic Charter.
“There is no evidence to prove the contrary,” said an IOC spokesperson, who added that Ng has the “full confidence” of the organisation in his role developing the Olympic Esports Games.
The IOC reiterated that Ng had not been directly involved in esports development within the organisation until recently. It stated that the development of esports initiatives had been led by the IOC Esports Commission, of which Ng has never been a member.
The IOC Esports Commission was responsible for projects such as the Olympic Virtual Series 2021 and the Olympic Esports Series 2023. These culminated in the Olympic Esports Week 2023, held in Singapore.
According to the IOC, the Olympic Esports Week was organised in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Sport Singapore, and the Singapore National Olympic Committee (SNOC).
Ng, while not a member of the organising committee, co-chaired the event’s steering committee alongside the responsible minister.
All major decisions, including the selection of game titles for the Olympic esports events, were made by the IOC Executive Board based on proposals from the Esports Commission and relevant departments.
Ng was recently appointed to chair a joint steering committee between the IOC and the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC), which will oversee preparations for the first Olympic Esports Games in Riyadh in 2027.
The IOC said his appointment was due to his recognised expertise, which had been fully declared through the IOC Declaration of Interests Form.
The organisation emphasised that all IOC members are required to declare interests in businesses, sports bodies, and not-for-profits to ensure transparency and prevent actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
“There is no basis whatsoever to these claims, since there is full transparency through the IOC Declaration of Interests Form,” the spokesperson added.
In response to media queries, the SNOC stated it was not in a position to comment on the IOC Ethics Commission’s processes or any complaint that may have been filed.
“We have no information regarding the report in question and are therefore unable to confirm its accuracy or the nature of the alleged complaint,” the SNOC said in a statement on Thursday.
CNA also reported that it had reached out to Ng and the Global Esports Federation for comment.
The matter follows a past disciplinary incident involving Ng. In January 2023, he was fined €1,000 (US$1,165) and received an official warning after being found guilty of interfering in a World Sailing election.
Ng and Dieter Neupert, then chair of the World Sailing Ethics Commission, were found to have breached integrity standards by attempting to influence the election outcome.
Ng had previously served as vice-president of the International Sailing Federation, the forerunner to World Sailing, from 1994 to 1998.
He has been a member of the IOC since 1998 and served two terms as its vice president: from 2009 to 2013 and again from 2020 to 2024.
Domestically, Ng was vice president of the SNOC from 1990 to 2014 and currently chairs its Games Appeals Committee and Finance Committee. He is also part of the Singapore Sports Awards Selection Committee.
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