TOKYO, Dec. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Japan Sports Agency (JSA) of the Japanese Government and the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) hosted the annual "International Anti-Doping Seminar in Asia & Oceania" on December 1-3. The 14th annual seminar was organized as "GoVirtual" for the first time due to COVID-19. 2020 is a landmark year for anti-doping organizations (ADOs) as the revised World Anti-Doping Code (2021Code) and International Standards will become effective from January 2021. The seminar in this significant timing has brought together more than 200 people from 52 countries/regions online to exchange information matching the needs of ADOs, and the participants virtually united despite the time difference.
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The theme of the 2020 seminar was "Are you ready!?--for the 2021Code & International Standards and for beyond." JADA developed the agenda with WADA based on the input from the anti-doping community in Asia and Oceania in advance.
In his opening address, Mr. Taido Tanose, State Minister of MEXT(*1) and WADA Executive Committee member, expressed how the anti-doping community should be united in this difficult time to reassure the confidence of athletes and public that sport can be played in a clean environment and how the Tokyo 2020 in 2021 can be a doping-free Games. Echoing Mr. Tanose, Mr. Witold Banka (WADA President) stressed: "WADA must go further to build bridges and unite efforts to protect athletes and the integrity of sports globally" and how a clean sport community exists for athletes.
(*1)MEXT: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Throughout the three-day seminar, it was highlighted that anti-doping is in "a new era" with the revised 2021 World Anti-Doping Code and two new International Standards (Education and Results Management) added to six other existing ones. Day 2 of the seminar was dedicated to "Education" reflecting the importance of the new International Standard for Education (ISE).
The seminar continues to put the athlete-centered engagement. At the Athletes Roundtable, Ms Yang Yang (WADA Vice President), Mr. Ben Sandford (WADA Athlete Committee Chair) and Dr. Murofushi Koji, Commissioner of the JSA and former WADA and JADA Athlete Committee member, discussed how the new ISE and "Athlete Anti-Doping Rights Act" can bring the positive impact on protecting clean and fair athletes and developing the sporting values.
There were exchanges of collaborative clean sport initiatives presented by the International Testing Agency (ITA), Badminton World Federation (BWF) and regional members of the anti-doping community. The panel session revealed how a closer partnership and learning good practices can raise the standard of the anti-doping organizations.
Over the three days of the seminar, JADA ensured dialogue and interactions among participants from the anti-doping community, athletes, WADA executives and ITA in an informal format. Given anti-doping activity has been required of some adaptation due to COVID-19, JADA conducted a post-seminar "Japan Day" fun session and shared some examples of online value-based education activities with Asia-Oceania colleagues.
The 2020 International Seminar was successfully closed with "solidarity and unity" remarks by Prof. Hidenori Suzuki, JADA Chair. He reassured the Japanese commitment to the continuous partnership among the anti-doping organizations to raise the standard. Throughout the seminar, the participants were able to gain confidence for the implementation of the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code, and JADA will keep initiating the capacity development to support the clean and fair sport movement across the Asian and Oceanian regions.
Find more information on the International Anti-Doping Seminar, visit here: https://www.playtrue2020-sp4t.jp/
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