Anti-Doping

Anti-doping plays an important role in sport. It ensures that all spectators and participants of sport are confident that the competition is fair and that the word ‘Winner’ reflects the integrity of all the athletes who compete.
Sport can be exciting, challenging and rewarding. However, the legacy of sport is severely damaged, and the integrity of athletes is undermined, by the use of performance-enhancing drugs and doping.
Doping in sport is a major challenge, and only by taking a concerted and comprehensive approach to the fight against doping in sport is it possible to protect the integrity of sport and the health of athletes worldwide.

World Anti-Doping Agency
The campaign to achieve doping-free sport is international, headed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). With the support of governments and sports bodies, it promotes, coordinates and monitors the fight against doping in sport across the world, through the World Anti-Doping Code.
For more information is available at: https://www.wada-ama.org/

National Anti-Doping Organisations
More than 120 countries are signatories to the World Anti-Doping Code and have established National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs).   NADOs are responsible for testing their national athletes during and outside competitions, athletes from other countries competing within their country, as well as adjudicating anti-doping rule violations and providing anti-doping education.    There are two National Anti-Doping Organisations with jurisdiction in Northern Ireland:
UK Anti-Doping – responsible for Protecting Sport in the UK    http://www.ukad.org.uk/
Sport Ireland – responsible for Protecting Sport in Ireland   http://www.sportireland.ie/Anti-Doping/

So what is the Sports role?
Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs) are a core partner in the development of a culture of clean sport.    SportNI works with NGBs in a variety of ways, from ensuring that funded and competitive sports have anti-doping rules in place, building capacity by upskilling staff and supporting their education activities.  
The World Anti-Doping Code outlines the primary goal for basic information and values based, prevention focused, education programs.   The objective shall be to prevent the intentional or unintentional Use by Athletes of Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods.    NGBs, within their means and scope, have the responsibility to plan, implement, evaluate and monitor information, education and prevention programs for Clean Sport.
These programs shall provide Athletes, coaches and athlete support personnel with updated and accurate information on at least the following issues:

• Substances and methods on the Prohibited List
• Anti-Doping Rule Violations
• Consequences of doping, including sanctions, health and social consequences
• Doping Control Procedures
• Athletes and Athlete Support Personnel’s rights and responsibilities
• Therapeutic Use Exemptions
• Managing the risks of Nutritional Supplements
• Harm of Doping to the Spirit of Sport
• Applicable Whereabouts Requirements

Pure Winner – “To create a strong clean sport culture by empowering athletes to be Pure Winners”

A vital component of the SportNI Pure Winner programme is to engage with sports to ensure anti-doping rules are in place, support workforce training and development in this specialist area, and assist them to create education programs and workshops.     Developing a sport specific anti-doping education strategy is a key tool to outline and monitor targets and foster a clean sport ethos within your sport’s Governing Body.

As well as supporting NGB’s with their Clean Sport commitments, the Pure Winner programme provides open and sport specific workshops, resources and support to athletes, coaches and athlete personnel.
The Pure Winner Major Games programme ensures that every athlete, coach and athlete support personnel from NI attending a Commonwealth or Olympic Games is formally educated and aware of the risks of multi-sport, games-time environment, inadvertent doping (medication, supplements), and are fully informed of their Clean Sport commitments.

Further information can be found on the Sport NI Pure Winner website or email anti-doping@sportni.net.