The Anti-Sports Personality of the Year awards 2025
The Guardian’s Anti‑Sports Personality of the Year 2025 awards spotlight a string of cheating controversies across diverse sports, including AI‑aided Go, modified ski‑jump suits, waxed pool balls, stone‑skimming fraud, and curling misconduct. The piece explains each case, the reactions, and what th…
The Guardian’s annual Anti‑Sports Personality of the Year awards, unveiled on the same evening the BBC celebrates its Sports Personality winners, cast a harsh light on the year’s most egregious breaches of fair play. From high‑tech cheating in the ancient board game Go to covert suit alterations in ski jumping, the 2025 roster reads like a handbook of modern sport misconduct.
AI‑assisted cheating in Go and a disputed Baduk final
In December 2024, 19‑year‑old Chinese Go prodigy Qin Siyue was caught using a concealed smartphone to consult an artificial‑intelligence engine during the ninth round of the Chinese Team Championship. The revelation, delayed until early 2025, led the Chinese Weiqi Association to strip Qin of her ranking and impose an eight‑year ban from all sanctioned events. Her case follows a wave of AI‑related scandals that have rattled the world of Xiangqi (Chinese chess) the previous year.
January 2025 saw another controversy erupt at the Baduk (Korean name for Go) World Championship final. Korean star Byun Sang‑il defeated Chinese legend Ke Jie, but the match was marred by the mid‑tournament introduction of new scoring rules that many observers called confusing and unfair. Ke complained that the rule change caused “psychological trauma” and even described hearing a “breaking sound” after being penalised for an alleged stone‑placement infraction. The episode sparked diplomatic tension between the Korean and Chinese Go federations and renewed calls for transparent rule‑making.
Norwegian ski‑jump suit manipulation
At the Nordic World Championships in Trondheim, five Norwegian ski jumpers—including two Olympic gold medallists—and three team officials were found to have altered the crotch area of their ski‑jump suits with a reinforced thread. The modification was intended to reduce drag and improve aerodynamics. The scheme was exposed when officials ripped open the suits during a routine equipment check.
Team coach Magnus Brevig publicly admitted the deliberate breach, describing the act as “cheating” and expressing regret. Retired jumper Daniel‑André Tande and former world‑record holder Remen Evensen both confessed to similar practices, arguing that the sport’s culture often equates undetected cheating with acceptable behaviour. The scandal prompted the International Ski Federation to tighten suit‑inspection protocols for future events.
Waxed pool balls and the "Waxgate" controversy
The 2024 World Pool Championship in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, offered a $1 million prize purse and attracted 128 top players from 40 nations. Mid‑tournament, world No. 3 Aloysius Yapp accused opponent Jeffrey Ignacio of applying wax or silicone lubricant to the cue ball, allegedly giving Ignacio an unfair edge. Fellow competitor Eklent Kaci echoed the claim, describing the ball as “waxed real bad” and noting repeated missed shots caused by excessive spin.
Responses ranged from denial—Ignacio called the accusation “bullshit”—to calls for rule clarification. The World Pool‑Billiard Association (WPA) intervened, stating that ball waxing constitutes cheating and will be penalised under its unsportsmanlike‑conduct rules. Despite the statement, no formal sanctions were announced during the tournament, leaving the issue unresolved.
Stone‑skimming and curling: low‑tech cheating in niche sports
After a 2024 conker‑throwing scandal, the 2025 World Stone‑Skimming Championship on Easdale Island introduced airport‑style scanners and a magnetic “ringmaster” to detect tampered stones. Event organiser Kyle Mathews disclosed that several competitors had altered their stones—either by filing them to a perfectly circular shape or adding notches for better grip. Those athletes were disqualified after admitting their misconduct.
In a separate incident at the World Curling Championship in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, the Chinese women’s team was filmed allegedly “burning” a rock with a broom to alter its trajectory and even kicking a stone during a match against Norway. Norway lodged a formal protest, but the lack of video‑review technology in curling meant the game continued without penalty. Former Canadian curler George Karrys called the episode “the worst thing I have ever seen in my 42‑year curling career.”
Other oddities: mascot surgery, tiddlywinks equipment, and biting bans
In a bizarre side note, Lazio football club’s eagle mascot trainer Juan Bernabe was dismissed after posting photos of his post‑penile‑prosthesis surgery, claiming the procedure was for “enhanced sexual performance.” While unrelated to sport performance, the incident highlighted the blurred line between personal publicity and professional conduct.
The English Tiddlywinks Association warned that some players might be using oversized “squidgers” (tiddlywinks cues) to gain an advantage, prompting stricter equipment checks at the national pairs championship.
On the rugby front, former New Zealand World Cup star Ruby Tui mistakenly suggested that World Rugby would “definitely have an appetite” to punish a biting incident involving France’s Axelle Berthoumieu, who later received a nine‑match suspension after an appeal reduced her original twelve‑match ban. The comment earned Tui the anti‑Spoty nomination for a commentary gaffe.
Other high‑profile bans this year included South African lock Eben Etzebeth (12‑match suspension for eye‑gouging) and Uruguay striker Luis Suárez (three‑match ban for spitting at a security director after a League Cup final).
What comes next?
Each scandal has prompted governing bodies to revisit rulebooks, inspection procedures, and disciplinary frameworks. The Go federations are debating AI‑use policies, the International Ski Federation is tightening suit‑approval processes, and the WPA has clarified its stance on ball waxing. Meanwhile, niche sports like stone‑skimming and tiddlywinks are adopting security‑style checks to preserve credibility.
As the anti‑Sports Personality awards demonstrate, the fight against cheating is evolving alongside technology and cultural attitudes. Whether the new regulations will restore public trust remains to be seen, but the spotlight on misconduct ensures that future infractions will face harsher scrutiny.
Why it matters
The scandals expose how technology and loopholes can undermine fairness, prompting sport authorities to tighten rules and protect integrity.
Key points
- Chinese Go prodigy Qin Siyue banned for AI‑assisted cheating.
- Norwegian ski‑jump team altered suit crotches to gain aerodynamic advantage.
- World Pool Championship faced accusations of waxed cue balls, leading to WPA clarification.
- Stone‑skimming and curling events saw equipment tampering and illegal stone handling.
- Various niche sports introduced stricter equipment checks after misconduct revelations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Anti‑Sports Personality of the Year award?
It is an annual Guardian feature that highlights the most egregious cheating and unsportsmanlike incidents across all sports, presented opposite the BBC Sports Personality ceremony.
How did Qin Siyue cheat in the Go tournament?
She used a hidden smartphone to consult an AI engine for move suggestions during a match, violating competition rules.
Why were the Norwegian ski‑jump suits considered illegal?
The suits had reinforced thread in the crotch area to reduce drag, a modification explicitly prohibited by ski‑jump equipment regulations.
What does the WPA say about waxed pool balls?
The World Pool‑Billiard Association classifies ball waxing as cheating and will enforce penalties under its unsportsmanlike‑conduct rules.
Are there plans to prevent stone‑skimming cheating in the future?
Organisers introduced metal detectors and magnetic tools at the 2025 championship and say similar security measures will become standard.
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