The IBSA Anti-Doping Committee continued the commitment for a ‘Clean Sport’ through tests and education in its last 2023 IBSA Judo Grand Prix Egypt, that took place in the city of Alexandria, at the Borj Al Arab Sports Hall, between March 13^th and 14^th.

At the event, there was the opportunity to talk to athletes and coaches about anti-doping in the form of seminars, which are crucial to being able to go deeper into the topic, as well as access to some equipment used in the process so that they could become familiar, which is especially important for visually impaired athletes. There was also a stand in partnership with EGY-NADO (the National Anti-Doping Organization of Egypt) for Questions and Answers (QUIZ) in the arena during the two days of competition, where more than 50 athletes and coaches tested their knowledge of the topic and won prizes for their correct answers.

 “These events are very important. Playing with athletes in an informal way, we can show them that Anti-Doping is more than a test after the competition. They realize that there are several issues related to health and integrity and how they interact with each other around this theme. Education will always be the best tool to prevent doping”, says Juliana Soares, IBSA Anti-Doping Education Officer and responsible for the event in Alexandria.

 “While some people may think we are the bad guys, with some education they will understand that we are here to protect them from what or who may compromise their right to participate in a clean safe sport”, added Karim Salah, Education Manager at EGY-NADO.

Beside this relevant event, IBSA continued to follow other procedures/protocols/rules from WADA, including RTP and testing. During the pre-competition days, there was an opportunity to address some national teams that are in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) – to know more about it click here  – and confirm the need for help or backup in this matter. This is a delicate procedure that the athlete must insert into WADA’s system, the so-called ADAMS – Whereabout, their location and, therefore, test the athletes in a more clever and optimized way.

For the testing procedures, IBSA had a partnership with EGY-NADO, which tested some athletes before and during the competition. In total, more than 30 athletes were tested, following IBSA directives for athlete selection, which always emphasize equality and transparency.

IBSA is constantly improving its mission, and the Anti-Doping Committee is part of the success. Read carefully the information on the IBSA website about this subject, and in case of doubt, don’t hesitate to get in contact with the department.