UK Anti-Doping Chairman calls for “step change” in tackling doping in sport at Clean Sport Forum

2017

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) Chairman, Trevor Pearce CBE QPM, has today (Tuesday 24 October) outlined provisional plans for National Governing Bodies (NGBs) in the UK to implement a new compliance framework within the next two years.

In his first major speech since taking the role of UKAD Chairman in February, Mr Pearce spoke of the need for a “step change” by adopting a more strategic approach to tackling doping in sport by working “with others in co-regulation, delivering through others and extending the range of our capability both in operational and policy terms,” Pearce said during the 2017 Clean Sport Forum at the Kia Oval, UKAD’s flagship event.

“From my early observations, I am not sure that all sports have given genuine and serious consideration to the threat of doping in their sport….that has to change . UK Anti-Doping will be looking to sports to clearly demonstrate that they are complying with the National Anti-Doping policy.”

“Indeed, we know it is also a pre-requisite of the funding bodies that anti-doping responses account in this regard.”

Pearce also proposes that UKAD will be:

• Publishing an annual assessment on the state of doping in UK sport by 2018 to be shared with NGBs and funding bodies to promote greater action in doping.
• Extending reach across all disciplines and levels from amateur to elite ‘with and through sports and NGBs’ in order to achieve more.
• Introducing an annual ‘self-assurance of compliance’ where UKAD will be looking for evidence that organisations are following the National Anti-Doping policy within their sports.

Mr Pearce also challenged sports to do more in reporting their suspicions about doping, noting that only 3% of intelligence reports received by UKAD over the past twelve months came from NGBs.

Another point Mr Pearce stressed was that UKAD needs to take a bigger step in combatting doping in sport on an international level, so athletes across the world can compete on a level playing field. “By making sure that we have an effective international strategy, I believe that we gain benefits for athletes who want us to ensure that the competitions are fair and equitable. It also enables us to demonstrate UK leadership in this field.”