The Anti-Sports Personality of the Year Awards 2025: Controversies Across Multiple Sports
The 2025 Anti-Sports Personality of the Year Awards highlighted a series of notable controversies and breaches of sportsmanship across a variety of disciplines. In the world of Go, 19-year-old Chinese prodigy Qin Siyue was banned from all events by her national association for eight years and stripped of her ranking after being found to have used AI assistance and a hidden phone to plot moves during the Chinese Team Championship.
In the Baduk World Championship final, Korea's Byun Sang-il defeated China's Ke Jie amid mid-tournament introduction of new scoring rules; Ke Jie described the experience as psychologically traumatic.
In Norway, five athletes and three male team officials were discovered to have used reinforced threads in their ski suits to improve aerodynamics. Coach Magnus Brevig admitted it was cheating. Retired jumpers Daniel-André Tande and Remen Evensen suggested that they had engaged in cheating in the past.
Controversy also struck soccer with Juan Bernabe, Lazio's eagle mascot trainer, fired in January after posting boastful photographs online following penile prosthesis surgery intended to enhance sexual performance.
At the World Pool Championship in Jeddah involving 128 players, accusations arose over waxing the cue ball with lubricant. The World Pool Association declared waxing balls as cheating, promising punishment under their rules though no specific penalties were detailed.
During the World Stone Skimming Championship, organizer Kyle Mathews reported disqualifying several competitors for stone doctoring and use of notched stones. Organizers considered increased security measures to prevent future violations.
China's curling team faced criticism at Moose Jaw after reportedly burning a rock and kicking a stone during competition. With no video assistant referee system in place, China lost to Switzerland in the semi-finals, while Canada won bronze. Commentator George Karrys condemned the episode.
The tiddlywinks community flagged potential violations of the 51mm squidger width rule prior to the national pairs championship. Andrew Garrard, secretary of the English Tiddlywinks Association, stated that umpires would closely monitor squidger sizes.
Finally, biting, gouging, and spitting incidents dominated rugby and football headlines. Axelle Berthoumieu received a 12-match ban (reduced to nine on appeal) for biting Aoife Wafer; Eben Etzebeth was banned for 12 matches for eye gouging Wales's Alex Mann; and Luis Suárez was banned for three matches for spitting incidents.
These events collectively contributed to a year marked by numerous breaches of fair play and ethics in sport.
