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As per WADA Code Article 21.1.1, Article 21.2.1, and Article 21.3.1, it is our role and responsibility to be knowledgeable of and comply with all anti-doping policies and rules adopted under the WADA Code which apply to them.
Summary of Major Changes from TDSSA 9.0 to TDSSA 10.0 As a position of the International Federation of esports, IESF has cooperated with WADA to create TDSSA 10.0, which contains a new appendix that includes minimum levels of analysis.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended the accreditation of the South African Doping Control Laboratory (Laboratory) in Bloemfontein, South Africa, for a period of up to six months.
In September 2023, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) imposed an analytical testing restriction (ATR) on the Laboratory as it related specifically to the Gas Chromatography / Combustion / Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) analytical method.
In February 2024, WADA received a recommendation from the Laboratory Expert Advisory Group (Lab EAG) to suspend the WADA accreditation of the Laboratory due to multiple non-conformities with the International Standard for Laboratories, including non-conformities with Technical Documents and the continued ATR, among other issues.
The Laboratory accepted the recommendation for suspension which was approved by the Chair of the WADA Executive Committee. This process is now complete.
The suspension, which took effect on 1 March 2024, prohibits the Laboratory from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including analyses of urine and blood samples, with the exception of analysis related to the Athlete Biological Passport hematological module. During the period of suspension, samples that have not yet been analyzed by the Laboratory, samples currently undergoing a confirmation procedure, and any samples for which an Adverse Analytical Finding has been reported, must be securely transported to another WADA-accredited laboratory. This is in order to ensure continued high-quality sample analysis, which also helps preserve athletes’ confidence in this process and the wider anti-doping system.
During the period of suspension, the Laboratory shall address all non-conformities identified by the Lab EAG or WADA in any request for corrective action or otherwise, as well as any additional non-conformities identified by any follow up WADA site visit during the suspension period. If the Laboratory satisfies the Lab EAG in meeting these requirements, it may apply for reinstatement prior to the expiry of the six-month suspension period. Should the Laboratory not address the non-conformities by the end of the six-month suspension period, WADA may extend the suspension for up to an additional six months.
In accordance with the ISL, WADA is responsible for accrediting and re-accrediting anti-doping laboratories, thereby ensuring that they maintain the highest quality standards. This monitoring process is conducted in conjunction with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assessment by independent national accreditation bodies that are full members of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).
International Esports Federation (IESF) has announced that it has signed a MOU with Korea Anti-Doping Agency (KADA).
IESF and KADA will work together sharing resources with each other relating to the development of an effective anti-doping program in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code, as done by WADA, to develop and improve the standards in the esports community.
Under the agreement, both parties will cooperate for the fairness of esports events taking place around the world and for anti-doping education and tests for esports athletes.
With this strategic movement, IESF can support esports athletes globally through its member nations for a fair and clean esports environment..
Colin Webster (President of IESF) signing the MOU with AESF.
The world of esports governance has reached a significant milestone with a landmark agreement between the International Esports Federation (IESF) and the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF).
On 31st March 2020, the IESF President Mr. Colin Webster and the AESF President Mr. Kenneth Fok both signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form a formal collaborative relationship to promote and advance esports globally as well as across the Asian continent. Under this MOU, the IESF recognizes and acknowledges the AESF as the sole federation for esports in Asia. The AESF recognizes and acknowledges the IESF as the sole international federation for esports.
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the signing ceremony was conducted remotely and digitally in the home nations of all signatories of this important partnership, including Hong Kong, Johannesburg, and Abu Dhabi, as well as messages from other parts of the World.
This is a significant step for Asian esports that will also have an impact globally. It is expected that other continental federations will also be part of this alliance working collectively in the interests of esports, the safeguarding and protection of players being a top priority. This MOU unites in one umbrella all Member Associations and Federations, thereby confirming a clear and transparent structure of esports globally.
COLIN WEBSTER, PRESIDENT OF IESF
“The MOU between the IESF and the AESF further reinforces IESF’s position as the only true international federation for esports. The IESF was founded in 2008 and today is the largest international federation of its kind and is acknowledged to be the leader in its field. The MOU thus solidifies the IESF’s position, as well as that of the AESF. Together, the two federations will ensure a greater degree of delivery and expertise, as well as ensuring the development and recognition of esports as a sport.”
KENNETH FOK, PRESIDENT OF AESF
“I am sure that the partnership today is strong enough to unite the esports community, including publishers, organisations, and most importantly our esports players. It is also groundbreaking as it paves the way for better collaboration and cooperation between the International Esports Federation, IESF and the Asian Electronic Sports Federation, AESF. This is an exciting day for us and we look forward to new initiatives from this partnership. Lastly, I like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved.”
HIS HIGHNESS SHEIKH SULTAN BIN KHALIFA AL NAHYAN, EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER OF IESF
“Esports is becoming ever more prominent in mainstream culture, the need for relevant governance structures, education programs and development pathways to support the growth globally is essential to ensure the welfare and integrity of all that participate, fostering healthy and positive behaviors. The spirit of the games must be first and foremost.
The closer relationship between both the IESF and AESF will provide the credibility and legitimacy of these activities, and we encourage other continental federations to be part of this growing family.”
VLAD MARINESCU, VICE PRESIDENT OF IESF
“Today marks a significant and momentous milestone in the evolution and development of esports. The unity between the IESF and the AESF will reinforce the foundation of the Asian Continent – from the national associations to all stakeholders, including athletes, publishers and event organizers. Moreover, it will send the message globally that esports is united, and united we can, with respect and inclusion, further develop for the benefit of the people playing. I’m honored to formally join forces with Mr. Fok, Mr. Lau and the AESF team, people who share our passion and professionalism. Great things are coming.”
SEBASTIAN LAU, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF AESF
“This partnership with the IESF is a key milestone as part of our strategic master plan to develop and support the growth of esports globally. Working together with all members, publishers, athletes, and stakeholders, we have a strong belief that it has to be sustainable and should be able to create a sound ecosystem where our esports community can grow collectively. I truly believe that with the help from our partners at IESF who share the same vision, these goals are absolutely within our reach.”
International Esports Federation (IESF) is a non-profit organization founded in 2008 that consistently works to promote esports as a true sport beyond barriers. IESF is composed of more than 60 member national federations across all continents, organizes annual World Championships and strives to ensure the synergy between stakeholders. Its esports academy strives to improve the level of academic research and also professional development of officials in the industry. IESF is a WADA Signatory since 2013. Key IESF activities include the IESF World Championships, the IESF General Assembly uniting all National Federations and the Global Esports Executive Summits.
Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) is the sole governing body of esports in the Asian region and is also recognized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). Following the implementation of the esports Demonstration Games at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan, the AESF successfully staged esports at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta which saw six titles contested and having esports athletes accorded equal stature to their traditional sports counterparts. Also, the AESF, at the 2019 Southeast Games in Manila, brought esports to fans and media as an official medal sport event for the first time in its history and will again be responsible for showcasing esports at the 2021 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand as an official medal event. The AESF has launched its own competition, the ‘AESF e-Masters’ series in January 2020 and will soon introduce the ‘AESF University Championship’ and ‘AESF Amateur League’ for the esports fans and players in Asia.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to announce that as of today, Athlete Central, the Agency’s new App that facilitates athlete compliance with Whereabouts rules under the global anti-doping program, is available for use and download from the Apple Store and Google Play. Athlete Central, which is powered by WADA’s Anti-Doping Administration & Management System (ADAMS), replaces WADA’s current App that has been operational for a few years and required modernizing.
Whereabouts rules, which are a key component of global sport’s crucial out-of-competition testing programs, are part of the International Standard for Testing and Investigations. The rules require a limited number of top-level athletes within a Registered Testing Pool (RTP) to provide their Anti-Doping Organization (ADO) with details of where they can be found for one hour every day.
WADA Director General, Olivier Niggli, said: “We are very pleased that WADA’s launch of Athlete Central will dramatically improve and facilitate the athlete experience in complying with their Whereabouts requirements. The new app will allow WADA and ADOs to better support clean athletes, who want to be able to compete on a level playing field. Since the inception of Whereabouts rules, these rules have been modified and improved to make them more user-friendly and less intrusive while retaining their impact. Today, we can proudly say that we have gone one step further in WADA’s mission to lead a collaborative worldwide movement for doping free sport.”
To better understand the needs of its key beneficiaries – the athletes, Athlete Central was developed taking careful consideration of their feedback. WADA’s project team solicited athletes’ views actively and received 2,500 unique submissions that then shaped the App’s specifications. In addition, in the lead-up to today’s launch, some ADO staff tested the App and a significant number of active athletes have been trialing it to file their Whereabouts. WADA also provided a demo of Athlete Central to interested athletes and other participants of the Agency’s Fifth World Conference on Doping in Sport, that was held from 5-7 November in Katowice, Poland.
WADA Deputy Director, Standards & Harmonization and Principal, ADAMS Advancement, Stuart Kemp, said: “This is a significant milestone in the ADAMS ‘Next Gen’ project and athlete feedback was paramount in delivering what we believe is a new, easy and secure way for athletes to provide their Whereabouts. Features such as location-based address recommendations, dashboard, push notifications and Single Sign-On (SSO), will positively impact the way athletes provide Whereabouts information, making it easier to comply anytime, anywhere. We hope Athlete Central meets athletes’ expectations and we look forward to delivering the next modules of ADAMS ‘Next Gen’ to the anti-doping community.
ADAMS is a secure and free, web-based system that centralizes doping control-related information such as athlete Whereabouts, testing history, laboratory results, the Athlete Biological Passport, Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) and information on Anti-Doping Rule Violations.
In 2017, significant upgrades to ADAMS’ underlying infrastructure laid the foundation for the complete rebuild of ADAMS, which will serve all athletes and anti-doping stakeholders better going forward. Referred to as ‘Next Gen’ ADAMS, the rebuild prioritizes mobility of ADAMS use, enhanced connectivity, reliability and performance, as well as general usability. All of ADAMS’ new features are also designed with privacy, information security, and transparency for end users as a priority.
Planning and development of ‘Next Gen’ ADAMS first focused on the development of Athlete Central. Other modules are to follow, which WADA will communicate to stakeholders in due course.
Members are all gearing up for IESF's 11th Esports World Championships.
As time moves swiftly towards the advent of IESF's 11th Esports World Championships, teams from all 56 member national federations around the world prepare for action. IEF’s World Championship’s started in 2009, and since then, IESF has hosted such esports World Championship every year. With IESF being a signatory of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2013, IESF has been operating doping control for every such championships. Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) has been part of such World Championships since the inception of such. Such participation has benefitted the lives of all who have attended as members of South Africa's official Protea Esports Team.
All the South African athletes that have officially represented South Africa have done so with pride and honour.
The official Schedule for 11th Esports World Championships is as follows:
THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR THE ATHLETE COMMITTEE IS 24 OCTOBER 2019 THE DEADLINE FOR ALL OTHER COMMITTEES IS 1 NOVEMBER 2019
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) wishes to remind stakeholders that it is seeking nominations for 2020 for the Chairs of four (of its five) Standing Committees, which report into WADA's Executive Committee (ExCo) and Foundation Board (Board) and act as advisory committees, providing guidance for the Agency’s programs.
The current Standing Committee Chair terms end on 31 December 2019. This public call applies to the following four vacancies:
Athlete Committee
Education Committee
Finance and Administration Committee
Health, Medical and Research Committee
The deadline to submit applications for the Athlete Committee is 24 October 2019; and, for the other Standing Committees is 1 November 2019.
The successful candidates will take office on 23 January 2020 [the date that WADA’s ExCo will approve the nominations]; and, their terms will conclude on 31 December 2022; after which, candidates may reapply to continue for two further three-year periods.
The term of the Agency’s Compliance Review Committee Chair also concludes on 31 December 2019; however, this role will be filled via a different process due to a stricter requirement for independence. The newly formed Nominations Committee will be responsible for recruiting, reviewing and vetting the candidates for this specific position, and for setting the related processes.
Standing Committee Chair Role
Below, WADA is pleased to provide links to the revised Role Description/Position Profiles and Terms of Reference for each of the Committee Chair positions, which outline the scope of work and detail the functioning of the respective Committees.
With the exception of the Athlete Committee, applications for the other committees must be forwarded by Friday, 1 November 2019 to Mr Olivier Niggli, WADA Director General, (c/o e-mail: marjorie.chinnarassen@wada-ama.org or fax: +1 514 904 8743).
In the case of the Athlete Committee, the closing date to submit applications is Thursday, 24 October 2019. This special timeline is required as the WADA Athlete Committee will be reviewing the applications, which is not the case for the other committees.
All nominations must include the following:
a maximum one-page cover (motivational) letter;
an updated curriculum vitae, which fully captures the candidate’s experience and expertise;
letters of endorsement from at least two members of WADA’s Board (one representing the Olympic Movement and one representing the Public Authorities); and
Any questions can also be directed to Mr Niggli, c/o Ms Chinnarassen.
Governance Reforms and Independence
In 2017 and 2018, WADA carried out a governance review, which resulted in a series of reforms that were endorsed by WADA’s Board in November 2018; including, that certain independence criteria be applied to some governance roles.
Accordingly, the Chair of each of these four Committees will need to meet the following requirements of WADA’s General Standard of Independence as stipulated below:
"An individual is considered independent when he/she remains free of undue influence, is independent in character and judgment and there are no relationships or circumstances which to an informed third party could affect, or could appear to affect, the individual's judgment."
About WADA
Formed in 1999, WADA is an international independent agency composed and funded equally by the Sports Movement and Governments of the world. As the global regulatory body, WADA’s primary role is to develop, harmonize and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries. Its key activities include: ensuring and monitoring effective implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code and its related International Standards; scientific and social science research; education; intelligence and investigations; and building anti-doping capacity with anti-doping organizations worldwide.
WADA’s vision is a world where all athletes can compete in a doping-free sporting environment; and, the Agency’s mission is to lead a collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport.
WADA is composed of a 38-member Board, which is WADA’s supreme decision-making body; a 12-member ExCo, which is WADA’s ultimate policy-making body and several Committees. The Board and ExCo are composed equally of representatives from the Sports Movement and Governments. The Board delegates the actual management and running of the Agency, including the performance of activities and the administration of assets, to the ExCo.
Montreal, 25 September 2019 – The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is seeking nominations for 2020 for the Chairs of four (of its five) Standing Committees, which report into WADA's Executive Committee (ExCo) and Foundation Board (Board) and act as advisory committees, providing guidance for the Agency’s programs.
The current Standing Committee Chair terms end on 31 December 2019. This public call applies to the following four vacancies:
Athlete Committee
Education Committee
Finance and Administration Committee
Health, Medical and Research Committee
The successful candidates will take office on 23 January 2020 [the date that WADA’s ExCo will approve the nominations]; and, their terms will conclude on 31 December 2022; after which, candidates may reapply to continue for two further three-year periods. The term of the Agency’s Compliance Review Committee Chair also concludes on 31 December 2019; however, this role will be filled via a different process due to a stricter requirement for independence. The newly formed Nominations Committee will be responsible for recruiting, reviewing and vetting the candidates for this specific position, and for setting the related processes. Standing Committee Chair Role Below, WADA is pleased to provide links to the revised Role Description/Position Profiles and Terms of Reference for each of the Committee Chair positions, which outline the scope of work and detail the functioning of the respective Committees.
How to apply To be considered, all applications must be forwarded by Friday, 1 November 2019 to Mr Olivier Niggli, WADA Director General, (c/o e-mail: marjorie.chinnarassen@wada-ama.org or fax: +1 514 904 8743). In the case of the Athlete Committee Chair, the closing date to submit applications is Thursday, 24 October 2019. This special timeline is required as the WADA Athlete Committee will be reviewing the applications, which is not the case for the other positions. All nominations must include the following:
a maximum one-page cover (motivational) letter;
an updated curriculum vitae, which fully captures the candidate’s experience and expertise;
letters of endorsement from at least two members of WADA’s Board (one representing the Olympic Movement and one representing the Public Authorities); and
Any questions can also be directed to Mr Niggli, c/o Ms Chinnarassen.
Governance Reforms and Independence
As it relates to independence, in 2017 and 2018, WADA carried out a governance review, which resulted in a series of reforms that were endorsed by WADA’s Board in November 2018; including, that certain independence criteria be applied to some governance roles.
Accordingly, the Chair of each of these four Committees will need to meet the following requirements of WADA’s General Standard of Independence as stipulated below:
"An individual is considered independent when he/she remains free of undue influence, is independent in character and judgment and there are no relationships or circumstances which to an informed third party could affect, or could appear to affect, the individual's judgment."
About WADA
Formed in 1999, WADA is an international independent agency composed and funded equally by the Sports Movement and Governments of the world. As the global regulatory body, WADA’s primary role is to develop, harmonize and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries. Its key activities include: ensuring and monitoring effective implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code and its related International Standards; scientific and social science research; education; intelligence and investigations; and building anti-doping capacity with anti-doping organizations worldwide.
WADA’s vision is a world where all athletes can compete in a doping-free sporting environment; and, the Agency’s mission is to lead a collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport.
WADA is composed of a 38-member Board, which is WADA’s supreme decision-making body; a 12-member ExCo, which is WADA’s ultimate policy-making body and several Committees. The Board and ExCo are composed equally of representatives from the Sports Movement and Governments. The Board delegates the actual management and running of the Agency, including the performance of activities and the administration of assets, to the ExCo.
Montreal, 22 August 2019 –The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended the accreditation of the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) in New Delhi, India, for a period of up to six months. This suspension has been imposed due to non-conformities with the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) as identified during a WADA site visit, including in relation to the laboratory’s isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) analytical method, as regulated by the relevant technical document (TD2016IRMS). In May 2019, disciplinary proceedings were initiated by WADA’s Laboratory Expert Group (LabEG) and subsequently carried out by an independent Disciplinary Committee, which was mandated to make a recommendation to the Chair of the WADA Executive Committee regarding the status of the laboratory’s accreditation. This process is now complete. The suspension, which took effect on 20 August 2019, prohibits the NDTL from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including all analyses of urine and blood samples. During the period of suspension, samples that have not yet been analyzed by the NDTL; samples currently undergoing a confirmation procedure; and any samples for which an Adverse Analytical Finding has been reported, must be securely transported to another WADA-accredited laboratory. This is in order to ensure continued high-quality sample analysis, which also helps preserve athletes’ confidence in this process and the wider anti-doping system. Pursuant to Article 13.7 of the World Anti-Doping Code, the laboratory may appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days of receipt of notice. During the period of suspension, the laboratory shall address all non-conformities identified by the LabEG or WADA in any request for corrective action or otherwise, as well as any additional non-conformities identified during any follow up WADA site visit during the suspension period. If the laboratory satisfies the LabEG in meeting these requirements, it may apply for reinstatement prior to the expiry of the six-month suspension period. Should the laboratory not address the non-conformities by the end of the six-month suspension period, WADA may extend the suspension of the laboratory’s accreditation for up to an additional six months. In accordance with the ISL, WADA is responsible for accrediting and re-accrediting anti-doping laboratories, thereby ensuring that they maintain the highest quality standards. This monitoring process is conducted in conjunction with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assessment by independent national accreditation bodies that are full members of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).
Montreal, 15 August 2019 – The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to outline its planned Independent Observer (IO) and Athlete Outreach (AO) programs for the 12th African Games, taking place from 19 to 31 August 2019 in Rabat, Morocco. The Games will involve almost 7,000 athletes from 54 African countries competing in 26 sports.
The IO and AO teams (listed below) will be active during the African Games and, respectively, will provide real-time expert advice to organizers on all matters relating to the doping control program in place, and will give athletes and their supporting teams the opportunity to learn more about anti-doping and how the anti-doping community works to protect clean sport.
WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said: “The African Games are another important event on this year’s sporting calendar as we inch closer to the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. WADA is pleased that an Independent Observer team will be present in Rabat, working alongside the African Games’ doping control team and organizers, to assess every aspect of the anti-doping program in place for the benefit of clean athletes.
“We also welcome the opportunity for a dynamic WADA outreach team to be on hand to engage and educate participating athletes and their support personnel about anti-doping and the importance of instilling clean sport values within the larger sporting community. These are key priorities for WADA and I wish to thank the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the African Games’ organizing committee for their ongoing support in helping us to execute these programs on the ground.”
WADA’s IO team, which is composed of international experts in anti-doping, is intended to instill confidence in athletes and other stakeholders as to the quality, effectiveness and reliability of anti-doping programs being carried out at major events around the world.
The IO team will observe all aspects of the African Games’ anti-doping program, including:
Test distribution planning
Selection of competitors for testing
Notification of doping control
Sample collection procedures
Therapeutic Use Exemption procedures
Results management
The team will provide daily feedback to ANOCA and the African Games Organization Committee of Rabat 2019 (RAGOC). The team will then issue a post-event report that will include a series of observations and recommendations designed to enhance anti-doping activities at future African Games.
A WADA AO team will also be present to provide an opportunity for all competitors to engage with anti-doping in an informal and fun environment. The AO team, which will be staffed by anti-doping experts from across the African continent, will be active in the athletes’ village during the first week of the Games. The aim of the team is to raise awareness among athletes, support personnel and others as to the dangers and consequences of doping and as it relates to athletes’ rights and responsibilities under the World Anti-Doping Code.
Visitors to the AO booth will be encouraged to complete the Play True Quiz, which is now available in 43 languages, to sign a pledge explaining why they Play True, and to share their experience on social media using the hashtag #PlayTrue.
THE IO AND AO TEAM MEMBERS
The IO Team
Sophie Berwick (IO Chair), Anti-Doping Consultant
Sameh Elray (Team Manager), WADA
Dr. Elske Schabort, South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS)
Issoufou Aliou, African Regional Anti-Doping Organization (RADO) Zone II and III
