International Olympic Committee (IOC) has published a new code aimed at addressing issues related to gambling and match-fixing in Olympic sports.

The Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions was published on Thursday, following its approval by the IOC Executive Board last week.

Effective from the Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, any sporting organisation bound by the Olympic Charter will be expected to respect the terms of the new code.

Athletes will be in violation should they bet on a competition in which they are directly participating, the sport in which they compete, and any event in a multi-sport competition in which they are a participant.

Failure to comply with the new regulations carries a range of possible sanctions, from a warning to the maximum punishment of a life ban.

President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, said: “We must do everything we can to protect the millions of clean athletes around the world.

“Protecting them goes hand in hand with ensuring the environment in which athletes operate is safe from corrupting influences.

“Today’s publication of the code is an important step in fighting manipulation in sport.”