Independent Panel Members Announced

Professor Alexandra (Alex) Parker and Katherine Bates have been added to the independent panel to investigate issues related to women and girls' experience and advancement in the sport of swimming.

WADA partners with the Japan Anti-Doping Agency to promote the Play True message at the Tokyo Games

In the lead up to, and during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is partnering with the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) and other stakeholders to deliver a strong anti-doping program and promote the Play True message. As the host National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) of the Tokyo Games, JADA plays an integral role in coordinating the anti-doping program in partnership with the International Olympic Committee, the International Testing Agency (ITA), the International Paralympic Committee the Tokyo Organizing Committee and WADA.

German athlete group says protest rules at Tokyo Games are not transparent

Independent German elite athlete group said a hastily-introduced process that potentially allows athletes to protest at the Tokyo Olympics is not transparent, and instead could deter them from highlighting social issues close to their hearts. 

A Guide To The Labour Structure Of The US Women's Soccer Team and League (NWSL)

Published Tuesday, 27 July 2021.

Pam Sly - Rule (D)28, fast-tracked

£200 fine - A breach of Rule (D)28 of the Rules of Racing in that when DARK SPEC ran at Beverly on 19 July 2021 she had not informed the Racing Calendar Office that the horse had been gelded before the deadline as required

New IOC guidelines to ensure gender-equal, fair and inclusive representation in sport in Tokyo

Recognising that sports coverage is very influential in shaping gender norms and stereotypes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) published ahead of Tokyo 2020 a new edition of its Portrayal Guidelines to raise awareness and call for gender-equal and fair representation of sportspeople across all forms of media and communication.

Tokyo 2020: a new blueprint for the Olympic competition schedule and the visibility of women’s sport

The two weeks of Olympic coverage are a rare time when women’s sport and female athletes can make the headlines as much as their male counterparts. Increasing the number of women’s events in prime time across key territories can make a real difference in raising the visibility and prominence of women’s sport. 

NFL warns teams covid-19 cancellations due to unvaccinated players could lead to forfeited games

The NFL informed clubs that it would not extend the season to accommodate a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players that causes a game cancellation.

Why Blake Leeper is not running at the Tokyo Olympic Games – the 2nd CAS Award

Published Friday, 23 July 2021.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Ad Hoc Division dismisses the application filed by Oksana Kalashinikova & Ekaterine Gorgodze

Seven new members appointed to CGF Anti-Doping and Medical Commission

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Executive Board has confirmed seven new members for its Anti-Doping and Medical Commission following an open recruitment process that saw successful candidates appointed from all six regions of the Commonwealth. 

FIFA Disciplinary Committee sanctions Russian players for anti-doping violations

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the Russian players Ivan Knyazev, Daria Meshcheryakova and Vladimir Obukhov for breaches relating to the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations and the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

Result of an Appeal (Dragon Symbol) heard by the Disciplinary Panel on 1 July 2021

1. On 1 July 2021 the independent Disciplinary Panel of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) sat to consider the appeal from the owner and trainer of DRAGON SYMBOL, (ridden by Oisin Murphy) against the finding on 18 June 2021 of the Ascot Stewards who reversed the placings in The Commonwealth Cup (Class 1) (Group 1) (British Championship Series) over 6f where DRAGON SYMBOL was first past the post beating CAMPANELLE (IRE) (ridden by Frankie Dettori) by a head.

. Separately, Mr Murphy was found guilty of careless riding and suspended for four days. That decision is not the subject of any appeal.

IPC calls for EOI to become the governing bodies of Para athletics and Para swimming

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) calls for expressions of interest from cities, national governments, sport organisations and other entities interested in taking over the governance of the sports of Para athletics, Para swimming, or both, in their territories.  

Ground-Breaking Professional Australian Swimming League Unveiled

Swimming Australia and the ASL have formed a strategic partnership to establish and operate a new, innovative national professional Australian Swimming League.

BHA Disciplinary - Keith Dalgleish - Rule (D)28, fast-tracked

£100 fine - A breach of Rule (D)28 of the Rules of Racing in that when LOOSE LIPS ran at Newcastle on 24 June 2021 he had not informed the Racing Calendar Office that the horse had been gelded before the deadline as required. The Chairman noted that notification had been given but not until after declarations.

Saints DT David Onyemata suspended six games for violation of PED policy

UKAD confirms new board appointees

• Suman Ziaullah (Financial Conduct Authority) and Mark Foster (Rugby Football League) join UKAD board as Non-Executive Directors 
• UKAD Chair Trevor Pearce re-confirmed in post until 2025

Oliver Dowden MP, Secretary of State for Digital Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), has today confirmed two new appointments to the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) Board.

The ITA concludes Tokyo 2020 pre-Games anti-doping program, reports 80% implementation rate of testing recommendations

THE INTERNATIONAL TESTING AGENCY (ITA), LEADING AN INDEPENDENT ANTI-DOPING PROGRAM FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020, CONCLUDES AN EIGHT-MONTH LONG COMPREHENSIVE PRE-GAMES PROGRAM IN THE LEAD-UP TO THE EVENT AND REPORTS A HIGH TESTING IMPLEMENTATION RATE OF 80% ON RECOMMENDATIONS FOR QUALIFIED ATHLETES. THIS PROGRAM IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE ITA, NATIONAL AND REGIONAL ANTI-DOPING ORGANISATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC SUMMER FEDERATIONS AND DEMONSTRATES A GLOBAL MOTIVATION TO ENSURE A LEVEL-PLAYING FIELD IN THE RUN-UP TO THE GAMES. IT CONSTITUTES THE MOST EXTENSIVE ANTI-DOPING PROGRAM EVER IMPLEMENTED AHEAD OF AN EDITION OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES.

CAF receives PWC final investigation report

UKAD confirm new Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), the national body responsible for fostering UK-wide clean sport, has appointed barrister Nisha Dutt as Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs. Nisha has been with UKAD for two years as Legal Counsel and Head of Case Management.

FINA announces ban on athlete protests on podium and pool deck at Tokyo Olympics

The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has confirmed that all athlete protests are banned from the podium and pool deck during the Tokyo Olympics.

38 suspicious betting alerts reported by IBIA in Q2 2021

The ITA asserts an apparent anti-doping rule violation against Kazakstan wrestler Askhat Dilmukhamedov

THE INTERNATIONAL TESTING AGENCY (ITA), LEADING AN INDEPENDENT ANTI-DOPING PROGRAM FOR THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC) AND THE UNITED WORLD WRESTLING UNION (UWW), ASSERTS AN APPARENT ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATION (ADRV) AGAINST KAZAKSTAN WRESTLER ASKHAT DILMUKHAMEDOV. THIS IS THE FIRST APPARENT ADRV RESULTING FROM A TARGETED DOPING CONTROL CARRIED OUT BY THE ITA DURING IOC’S EXTENDED TESTING AUTHORITY IN THE LEAD-UP TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020.

Club representation on EFL Board confirmed

Nottingham Forest Chairman, Nicholas Randall QC, Preston North End Director, Peter Ridsdale, and Middlesbrough Chief Executive, Neil Bausor have been voted onto the EFL Board to represent Sky Bet Championship Clubs.

NFL investigation into Deshaun Watson 'ongoing and active'; QB eligible to participate in team activities

Deshaun Watson reported to Houston Texans training camp on Sunday and, while currently under investigation by the NFL into multiple allegations of sexual assault and harassment, faces "no restrictions" to his participation with the club at this time, the league announced Tuesday.

UKAD confirms Emily Robinson as interim Chief Executive

• UKAD Director of Strategy and Education to take the reins while search continues for permanent replacement
• Emily Robinson to replace Nicole Sapstead who leaves UKAD for International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA)
• Emily Robinson to take up the role at the end of August 2021

The IOC Refugee Olympic Team: a team powered by solidarity

Ten athletes from the IOC Refugee Olympic Team (EOR) started their competitions in Tokyo over the first weekend of the Games, displaying the same determination that has helped them through some of their daunting life challenges.

Maurice Barnes - Rule (D)30, fast-tracked

£290 fine - A breach of Rule (D)30 of the Rules of Racing in that notification of the wind surgery undergone by FISHER GREEN (IRE) had not been notified to the Racing Calendar Office until after declarations prior to the horse running at Hexham on 20 June 2021.

Decisions of CAF Disciplinary Board – 14 July 2021

CAF Disciplinary Board held a meeting on 14 July 2021 and took the following decisions:

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Ad Hoc Division Vitaliy Khudyakov (KAZ) v. FINA: case settled amicably

IFs and NOCs strongly support fight against competition manipulation at Tokyo 2020

Over the past few months, International Federations (IFs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) across the globe have worked closely with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to help ensure fair competitions during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Bavuma reprimanded for breaching ICC Code of Conduct

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the first T20I against Ireland in Malahide on Monday.

Scottish FA launches new girls' and women's football strategy

The Scottish Football Association this week launched a new girls' and women's football strategy, Accelerate Our Game, designed to develop the sport at all levels over the next five years.

New term for Petrie in Scotland

Rod Petrie will serve a second term as president of the Scottish Football Association.

Usain Bolt criticises new spike technology being allowed at Tokyo Olympics

100m and 200m world record holder Usain Bolt has called the decision to allow new spike technology at the Tokyo Olympics “laughable”.

ATHLETICS INTEGRITY UNIT DETAILS ITS COMPREHENSIVE AND ROBUST TESTING PROGRAMME AHEAD OF TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES

British horseracing supports investigation into abattoir images

The BBC’s Panorama programme has tonight broadcast pictures which, it suggests, show horses, including former racehorses, being euthanised in circumstances which may have harmed their welfare. They also reported that some of the horses had been transported from Ireland to a British abattoir.

Executive Committee press release

The Executive Committee (EXCO) of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), chaired by Dr. Patrice Motsepe, met on Friday 16 July 2021 in Rabat, Morocco. The EXCO gave its support to the idea of organizing the FIFA World Cup every two years and called for the implementation of the recommendations of the final audit of CAF conducted by PwC.

BHA Disciplinary - Brian Ellison - Rule (K)1, fast-tracked

£1,000 fine - A breach of Rule (K)1 of the Rules of Racing in that a post-race urine sample taken from DEFINITLY RED (IRE) on 29 February 2020 following its run in the William Hill Leading Racecourse Bookmaker Premier Chase at Kelso tested positive for triamcinolone acetonide.

Little, Adair and Tector breach ICC Code of Conduct

Ireland player Josh Little has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee while his team-mates Mark Adair and Harry Tector have been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct in separate incidents during the third match of their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series against South Africa in Malahide on Friday.

EURO 2020 match-fixing prevention work proves a success

UEFA’s comprehensive measures against potential match-fixing at UEFA EURO 2020 were based on two main pillars: education and prevention on the one hand, and monitoring and intelligence on the other.

IPC launches Doping Control Guide for Testing Athletes in Para Sport

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has launched the Doping Control Guide for Testing Athletes in Para Sport to assist anti-doping organisations and those working out in the field, collecting samples from Para athletes for anti-doping purposes ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.    

Updated Covid-19 Guidelines and Operating Procedures for race meetings from 19 July

The BHA has today shared updated COVID-19 Guidelines and Operating Procedures that will apply at British race meetings from Monday 19 July 2021.

This follows the publication yesterday of specific guidance for sports and large events in England, and announcements from the Scottish and Welsh Governments about their own plans for easing COVID-19 measures.

First ECA Executive Board meeting chaired by Nassar Al-Khelaifi

The ECA Executive Board met today in Munich for its first in-person meeting since February 2020, convened by new ECA Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi and attended by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin. The meeting came at a time of continuing challenge for the game in light of the ongoing impacts felt due to the COVID pandemic and the ramifications of the ill-fated European Super League (ESL) project.

World Athletics approves the applications of 20 Russians to compete internationally as neutral athletes

The World Athletics Doping Review Board has agreed that the applications of 20 Russian athletes have met the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as neutral athletes in 2021 under Eligibility Rule 3.2 while the Russian national federation (RusAF) remains suspended

WADA’s Independent Observer Program – helping to ensure the integrity of anti-doping at major sporting events

In this latest edition of ‘Spotlight’, which keeps stakeholders up to date on the activities being carried out by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) team and its partners, we look at WADA’s Independent Observer (IO) Program that is carried out at major sporting events across the globe. Previous ‘Spotlight’ features are available on WADA’s website.

Zimbabwe's Kaia reported for suspect bowling action

Zimbabwe’s Roy Kaia has been reported with a suspect bowling action during the one-off Test against Bangladesh in Harare that ended on Sunday.

CAF Statement following acts of stadium misbehaviours in Benin

CAF is investigating the incident that took place during the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup final fixture between Raja Club Athletic and JS Kabylie in Cotonou, Benin on Saturday, 10 July 2021. 

Welfare-focused rugby law trials to be implemented globally

• Rugby united in its ongoing commitment to enhance welfare outcomes
• Five welfare-focused trials to be adopted globally from 1 August, 2021
• Truly collaborative process has involved players, coaches, competitions and medics
• Players and competitions welcome trial
• Outcomes will be evaluated in 2022 in inform decision on adoption into law