Anti-Doping programs are founded on the intrinsic value of sport. This intrinsic value is often referred to as “the spirit of sport”: the ethical pursuit of human excellence through the dedicated perfection of each Athlete’s natural talents.
FIAS has been a Signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code since 2006. In order to further professionalise clean sports endeavours for its athletes and increase the independence of its Anti-Doping operations, FIAS has entered a partnership with the ITA. This partnership entails the full delegation of the FIAS international-level Anti-Doping program.
The International Testing Agency (ITA) is an international organisation constituted as a not-for-profit foundation with a mission to manage Anti-Doping programs, independent from sporting or political powers, for International Federations (IFs), Major Event Organisers (MEOs) and all other Anti-Doping organisations requesting support.
The ITA will henceforth conduct the entire testing program for FIAS, both for in- and out-of-competition doping controls. These controls will be based on a bespoke risk assessment taking into account all relevant factors, including the physiological profile and sports specificities of SAMBO. The administration of the Athlete Biological Passports (ABPs) of SAMBO athletes and the handling of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) will also be managed by the ITA. It will furthermore enhance the Anti-Doping efforts of SAMBO with a long-term sample storage strategy that enables the storage and re-analysis of selected samples for up to ten years after the collection date.
To provide SAMBO athletes with the most comprehensive Anti-Doping program possible, the ITA will lead investigations and the collection of intelligence for FIAS, as well as the possibility for the confidential sharing of information through its doping reporting platform REVEAL.
All clean sport activities on behalf of FIAS will be carried out by the ITA in strict compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and its International Standards, with ITA’s dedicated Regulatory Compliance Unit ensuring full alignment with all mandatory rules. Any potential Anti-Doping rule violations stemming from its Anti-Doping efforts will be subject to independent results management by the ITA.
The ITA will also raise awareness about doping, support clean sport values and contribute to doping prevention among SAMBO athletes with the establishment of a four-year education plan starting in 2023 in compliance with the WADA International Standard for Education. To support the implementation of this plan, the ITA will implement dedicated online and event-based education opportunities specifically aimed at SAMBO athletes.
Source and image: sambo.sport
