FIAS Executive Committee approved Needle Policy and Rules

The Executive Committee of the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) has approved the new "Needle Policy and Rules" with immediate effect for all FIAS events.

Here's the full statement:

"In the continued quest to protect the health of athletes and to fight against the use of prohibited substances and methods in sport, the International SAMBO Federation (FIAS) created based on the recommendation of International Olympic Committee and other sports federations the Needle Policy and Rules. The policy prohibits using injections without a justified medical reason.

The policy seeks to protect the sport of SAMBO from the culture of needles, the trivialization of injections, and the exaggerated use of pseudo-medical related products administered through injection. The banning of injections should have an impact on doping practices. Injections of products like vitamins or nutritional supplements allow, in particular, young athletes to become accustomed to such treatments which can be the start of a gradual slide into doping as they believe injections are a normal part of preparation or recovery."

Source: sambo.sport