2008 Pacific School Games Sports Anti-Doping Policy

 

Purpose of the Policy

To outline the position of the 2008 Pacific School Games (PSG) on the use of performance enhancing substances at the PSG.

Rationale

The 2008 PSG condemns the use of prohibited substances and methods in sport. The use of prohibited substances and methods is contrary to the ethics of sport and potentially harmful to the health of students competing in the 2008 PSG and all sports people.

Background

  • The use of performance enhancing substances is a major issue in international and elite sport;
  • The Australian Government created the Australian Sports Anti-Drugs Authority (ASADA) in 2005.  ASADA replaced the Australian Sports Drug Agency (ASDA);
  • ASADA is an integrated anti doping organisation whose functions are outlined in the Australian Sports Anti-Drugs Authority Act 2006;
  • All state and territory governments have legislation that complements the ASADA Act;
  • All National Sporting Organisations (NSO) for the five 2008 PSG sports have Sports Anti-Drug policies that apply at all levels of the sport;
  • Some student competitors at the 2008 PSG will be subject to the provisions of the ASADA Act as they will be financially supported by either the Australian Government or state or territory governments through various institutes or academies of sport or junior development schemes;
  • Under the ASADA Act these students may be liable to in-competition and out-of-competition testing for prohibited substances or methods.  These tests may be targeted or random.
  • ASADA has a register of all athletes subject to these provisions of its Act.
  • The ASADA Act also provides ASADA access to conduct testing at events supported financially by the Commonwealth or conducted at facilities owned or managed by the Commonwealth;
  • ASADA has agreed to protocols with the World Anti-Drugs Authority (WADA) for the testing of Australian sports people overseas and reciprocal agreements with National Olympic Committees (NOC) and/or the sports anti-doping authorities in countries attending the 2008 PSG;
  • Under these protocols and reciprocal arrangements ASADA is authorised to conduct drug tests on athletes competing in Australia from overseas countries; and
  • School Sport Australia has developed an Anti-Doping Policy which can be found on its website www.schoolsport.edu.au.

Education

The 2008 PSG acknowledges that all students involved in its competitions should be knowledgeable of and comply with all the anti-doping and policies and rules applicable to them and will use its best efforts to assist these athletes to fulfil their responsibilities.

Testing

  • The 2008 PSG will not contract ASADA to attend any of the sports competitions to conduct testing;
  • The 2008 PSG recognises that under its Act ASADA has the right to attend the event and test any competitors on its register;
  • The 2008 PSG also recognises that ASADA has the right to attend any of its venues and conduct testing; 
  • The 2008 PSG will ensure that appropriate testing facilities are available at all venues for ASADA to conduct testing; and
  • The 2008 PSG will ensure that all competitors to be tested, whether on the ASADA register or not, will be made aware that they have the right to have a member of their official team management to accompany them throughout the testing process.  These representatives will not have the right to interfere or impeded in any way the official ASADA testing protocols and processes and will be informed of the limitations of their role.

Sanctions

Test results will be provided to the competitor and the relevant National Sporting  Organisation (NSO) by ASADA under the protocols that already exist for that sport between ASADA and the NSO.

The procedure to be followed if a positive test result is returned will be those of the relevant NSO through their Drugs in Sport policy and/or the funding body’s Drugs in Sport policy, if the competitor is in receipt of government assistance, as agreed between these organisations and ASADA.

The procedures for international competitors will be the procedures under the protocols established by ASADA with the country of whose team they were a member.

Any sanctions to be applied will be the responsibility of the NSO for the sport being competed in at the time of the test, or for international competitors the relevant authorities in the country of whose team they were a member.

Should any school age athlete be banned under the anti-doping policy of any sport and seek to compete in the 2008 PSG and the 2008 PSG is formally advised of this ban then the 2008 PSG would apply the terms of that ban to the sports competitions in the 2008 PSG

If any competitor who has won a 2008 PSG medal(s) returns a positive test result and is subsequently sanctioned under the anti-doping policy of either the relevant NSO or the relevant authority in the country of whose team they were a member, and the 2008 PSG is formally informed of this ban, the 2008 PSG will seek the return of the medal, adjust the placings by removing the result of the sanctioned competitor and re-issue the medals to the corrected placegetters, if such action is appropriate within the terms of the sanction imposed.  This will only take place after all possible appeals by the competitor have been completed and the terms of the sanction imposed confirmed.

Term of this Policy

This policy remains active until 30 June 2009.

 

Last updated on: 24 April 2008