Dope Cheats beware! Big Brother is watching

How is the preparation going for the Commonwealth Games (CWG)?
WADA is preparing to send two teams to the Commonwealth Games: an Independent Observer Team (IOT) and an Athlete Outreach Team (AOT).

Experts, who are part of the IOT, will randomly monitor all phases of the doping control and results management processes of the event conducted under the responsibility of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) in a neutral and unbiased manner. A report outlining their observations and suggesting potential areas of improvement in the doping control process of the event will be published following the Games.

We will also send a team of anti-doping experts as part of our Athlete Outreach Program, which will be present in the athlete village. These experts will interact with athletes, provide information and answer their questions about the fight against doping at WADA’s athlete outreach centre. 

It must be hectic for WADA, as two big events — CWG and Asian Games are lined up?
The CWG and the Asian Games are two of the three major Games at which WADA will have a significant presence this year, together with the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver. It is a busy year in terms of major games, but WADA has the experience and the expertise necessary.

Both these events will be organised in Asia. How are you planning to conduct ‘doping free’ events?
WADA is not a testing agency and is therefore not responsible for testing at these events. This is the responsibility respectively of the CGF and the Olympic Council of Asia. We have been invited by those two organisations to monitor their doping control programmes through an independent observer.

The presence of independent observers at major sporting events contributes to strengthen the protection provided to clean athletes and to enhance their confidence, as well as the public’s confidence, in the doping control and results management processes.

What extra measures have you taken for the CWG?
This would be a question for the CGF — the organisation responsible for anti-doping at the CWG. This being said, it is primarily the responsibility of all countries, sport federations, the athletes’ entourage and ultimately athletes themselves, to ensure that the Games are a platform for true and honest athletic excellence rather than a source of embarrassment for them.

Countries and sports should ensure that only their clean athletes participate in the Games. Athlete entourages have a powerful role to play in encouraging athletes to be their very best naturally. And athletes can make a difference by displaying their commitment to doping-free sport.

Reports of surprise tests of athletes in the CWG have come up. How will you go about it?
No-advance-notice out-of-competition testing is one of the most powerful ways to deter and detect cheating athletes. WADA has been advocating “intelligent” out-of-competition testing for a long time, which means targeting athletes for testing based on intelligence and at the time at which they may be more susceptible to dope.

I expect that international sports federations and national anti-doping organisations will put a particular emphasis on out-of-competition testing of participants to the CWG in the lead-up to the event, as they do in the lead-up to the Olympic Games, for example.
 

Do you think Indian athletes are vulnerable because of lack of knowledge about banned drugs and its misuses?
Ignorance should not be an excuse. There are so many information resources about anti-doping regulations available today, including on WADA’s website. Athletes cannot claim to lack information.

Elite athletes have an entourage that can help them find the information they may need. It is their responsibility to ensure that they know their rights and responsibilities.

More generally, as the organiser of the upcoming CWG and a major player on the international sport stage, India has a duty of exemplarity in the fight against doping in sport. This is one of the reasons why WADA is currently assisting India in the development of anti-doping capacities, including education programs. WADA’s management has made several visits to India over the past few years to provide assistance and expertise to India.

Will you be coming to India for the Games?
I will unfortunately not be able to attend the Commonwealth Games but WADA’s director general David Howman will represent me. He will, in particular, attend the Commonwealth Sports Ministers’ meeting and the CGF meeting. WADA will also hold a press conference prior to the opening of the Games.