The general public will be able to reward fair play at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games by nominating candidates for an illustrious award online. For the first time, sports fans can submit their suggestions – from qualifying tournaments or the Games themselves – for the International Fair Play Committee (CIFP) awards via social media.

CIFP, which was founded by UNESCO and a group of international sports governing bodies in 1963 with the goal of promoting of good sporting conduct around the world, has launched its Rio 2016 Fair Play Awards in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The public will be able to nominate athletes via the CIFP’s website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat pages. A jury composed of CIFP and IOC representatives, athletes and the media will make the final decision.

The fair play awards began in 1965 and the first winner was Italian bobsleigh athlete Eugenio Monti who, at the Innsbruck 1964 Olympic Winter Games, donated part of his sledge to a rival British duo who went on to overtake the Italians for gold.

Among the other winners is Hungarian swimmer Daniel Gyurta, who won the 200m breaststroke title at the London 2012 Games, a few months after world champion Alexandre Dale Oen had died of a heart attack. Gyurta dedicated his victory to the Norwegian and pledged to have a copy of the medal sent to his family.

Watch other examples of fair play on the CIFP YouTube channel

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Sport teaches us to practise the values of respect and fair play in all our activities. This is why the IOC wholeheartedly supports this initiative, because it spreads these Olympic values around the world.”

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