TIAS-Student REPORTWorld Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) 2019 AnnualSymposium/WADA’s 2019 World Conference onDoping in Sport
Ugboma Chioma Monica (TIAS 4th Batch)
Master’s Program in Sport and Olympic Studies, master’s Program in Health andSport Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Universityof Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan
Appreciation – to TIAS for the partial funding of this education trip; and AssociateProf. Koichi Watanabe (UT).
This is the first part of 2 reports, and details the experience and learning at theWADA Annual Symposium held at the SwissTech Convention Center in
Lausanne, Switzerland from 13th to 14th March, 2019. This forms part of themajor events prior to the WADA Fifth World conference on Doping in Sport
holding on the 5th to 7th November, 2019. The main propose is to encapsulateinternational to regional stakeholders regarding Anti-doping to discuss emerging
doping issues, the role it plays in modern sports development, enforcement ofamended WADA code; and its implementation for clean, free and fair sport in
2021.

Background
From the 13th to 14th March 2019, the WADA conference (a 2-day program) was
held in Lausanne, Switzerland to address issues concerning the World Anti-Doping
Code, Anti-doping Charter of Athletes rights, International Standard for Result
Management and International Standard of Education as well as looking back andmoving forward together as a force to help in the fight against doping in sports
globally. The program gave me a great insight on the internationalized standard ofdoping control system and management. In addition, extensive lecture was givenon the International Standard of Education by WADA’s Education SeniorManager, Tony Cunningham, expressing the need and role of Education in thefight against doping. During this lecture, he emphasized that it is necessary to1

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educate athletes on the side effects of doping to encourage the willingness to stop
the use steroids and nutritional supplements rather than the focus of testing forpositives. I believe the statement made by Mr. Cunningham is what regulatory
authorities should be focused on for a positive change in sport world.

Day 1 Activities (13th March, 2019) - Participants registration andconference commencement
First day of the conference entails the registration of participants from the world
over at the front desk of the SwissTech convention center followed by thecommencement of the program. An opening speech and overview of theconference were given by Craig Reedie, the President of the World Anti-doping
agency, and Olivier Niggli, WADA’s Director general.
Afterwards detailed lectures of the program were given by WADA officials.
Followed by a “looking back and moving forward together” discussion session by
5 guest speakers.
The experts included:
 Amanda Hudson- Head of Doping at the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), wholeads the UK Education strategy by making clean athletes her top priorityand supporting UKAD’s aim to protect clean sport.
 Matthew Fedoruk- Chief science officer at the U.S Anti-Doping Agency(USADA).
 Benjamin Cohen- Director general of the International Testing Agency.
 Sasha Sutherland- Executive Director, Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping
Organization (RADO).
 Gunter Younger- Director of Intelligence and Investigations, World AntiDoping Agency.
 Andy Parkinson- Chief Executive Officer, British Rowing, served as theMC during the discussion Panel.
As a prerequisite to the workshop on compliance of the world Anti-Doping code,the initial discussion yielded a lot of positive contribution on the potentials of AntiDoping regulatory bodies in varied sport aspects to further improve and protect thedignity of sport.
2TIAS-Student REPORTDay 2 Activities (14th March, 2019)
The WADA officials centered on the International Standard for Code Complianceby signatories, Consequences framework for UNESCO convention, International
Standard for Testing and Investigations, Therapeutic Use Exemptions,International Standard for Laboratories and the Protection of Privacy and PersonalInformation. During these lectures, the Russian doping scandal at Rio 2016 wasdiscussed. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) remained non-compliant
to the World Anti-Doping Code. Consequently, the suspected faulting athletes
were banned from international competitions. More so, the Russian Anti-doping
laboratory was banned by WADA in November, 2015 due to alleged systematic
corruption following the retrieval of incriminating data and blood samples fromRUSADA which tested positive for banned substances. A way forward to prevent
this incident from reoccurring was discussed, as participants voted on what steps
WADA should take on achieving an informed solution. Educating athletes on theuse of anabolic steroids which pose as a danger to their health among otheroptions was ranked the most crucial to ensure doping at a minimum level.
Athlete education subsequently provides support and the required guidance to raise
the necessary awareness among the target group.

Participantsfrom Africa (Farright is a PhDstudent)

Photo take outside the conference venue

Julien Sieveking WADA’s Director, Legal Affairsdelivering a speech on the International Standard
for Education management
Olivier Niggli (WADA’s Director General)

Participants from Africa (Cameroon)

Julien Sieveking WADA’s Director, Legal Affairs

WADA, Lausanne - Images3TIAS-Student REPORTThe 2018 International Anti-Doping Seminar in Asiaand Oceania organized by the Japan Anti-doping
Agency in Partnership with the World Anti-doping
AgencyCommissioned – by the, Japan Sports Agency, Government of Japan
Location – at the, Tsuda University Sendagaya Campus, Tokyo
Appreciation – to Dr. YaYa YAMAMOTO - JADA

The theme of this Seminar was –“Athlete Engagement, their Rights and Achieving the Code Compliance”:
Steps for the 2021 Code.
This theme may encourage Regional Anti-Doping Organization and National AntiDoping Organization to make an effort in creating athlete centered anti-dopingactivity, implementing the quality Code Compliance and anti-doping program.

Overview of Seminar
The International Anti-Doping Seminar in Asia and Oceania was held on the4th and 5th December, 2018 in Tsuda University, Tokyo, Japan. The objective of
the seminar was focused on the evolving anti-doping movements and the road toTokyo 2020 summer Olympics to improve athletes’ performance considering freeand fair conduct during the upcoming Olympic event. WADA officials including
Tony Cunningham, Julien Sieveking and Olivier Niggli explained highlighting theneed to learn from the Russian doping scandal and implications. Athlete
development should not only be focused on emerging as victors. The behavior
leading to high performance, proper standards and the required competitive urge
should be done in an ethical manner. This forms part of shaping athlete
development for clean sport. The conference ended with measures to close thegap in the current levels of uninformed athletes, monitoring and improving
standards to reduce doping to the minimum.
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Conclusion and Take Home Message
These conferences were very successful and educative. I learnt that it is important
for the World Anti-Doping Agency to focus on the brighter side like maximizing
the potentials on the Standard of Education which focuses on teaching theathletes how to willingly stop doping by using their true strengths during varied
sport events putting into consideration, dignity and ethical values.
By so doing, sport world will gradually become free of doping scandals, andthe legacy of free and fair sport will be upheld.

Tony Cunningham (WADA’s Education SeniorManager) delivering a lecture on standard of education
To minimize doping in sportParticipants from Sri Lanka, Samoa and Fiji

Participants active discussion on Standards ofEducation - how to create awareness on doping

WADA officials active discussion on code
implementation process

JADA/WADA Japan

5Tony Cunningham (WADA’s Education
senior Manager)