The world's leading players' associations unveiled a universal declaration of player rights on Thursday designed to give athletes a global voice and protect them from the fallout from corruption and a broken anti-doping system. The World Players Association (WPA), whose member unions include FIFPro, NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB and which represents more than 85,000 athletes from 60 countries, hailed the declaration as the first comprehensive articulation of athletes rights. Among the 17 articles laid out in the document are an athlete's right to freedom of opinion and expression, the ability to organise and bargain collectively and to have a work place free of discrimination.

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