Education

To achieve its vision that “Every Singaporean Athlete is a True Winner”, one of the key strategies of Anti-Doping Singapore (ADS) is through anti-doping education.

It is through our education programmes that ADS aims to:

Promote doping-free behaviour that positively influence athletes’ beliefs, attitudes and behaviour toward doping in sport; and
Create a generation of athletes and athlete support personnel who understand the values of competing fairly and cleanly.

Targeted at athletes competing at all levels and their support personnel, our education initiatives include:

Workshops for elite athletes to inform them of their anti-doping responsibilities and provide a range of relevant and up-to-date information so that they make informed and responsible decisions and reduce the risk of inadvertent doping.
Workshops for athlete support personnel to provide a range of relevant and up-to-date information that will help them understand the importance of doping-free sport and empower them to help athletes make informed and responsible decisions about the misuse of prohibited substances or methods.
Outreach sessions to educate youth athletes about their anti-doping responsibilities in a fun and interactive manner.

To achieve this, ADS works closely with the various National Sports Associations and the sports fraternity so that athletes enjoy the right to doping-free sport in Singapore.

PRINCIPLES & VALUES ASSOCIATED WITH CLEAN SPORT

The basic principle for information and education programmes shall be to protect the spirit of sport from being undermined by doping and to establish an environment which promotes ad encourages doping-free behaviour and conduct among Participants.

The primary goal shall be to educate and inform Athletes, Athlete Support Personnel and other Persons about issues concerning doping in sport, and the risks of inadvertent doping.

ADS will assist NSAs in the planning, implementation and monitoring of information and education programmes on doping-free sport for their Athletes, Athlete Support Personnel and other Persons. The programmes should provide Participants with updated and accurate information on various issues, including:

Substances and methods on the Prohibited List;
Health consequences of doping;
Sample collection procedures; and
Athlete’s rights and responsibilities
Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs)
Any other education contents

All NSAs and Athlete Support Personnel have a responsibility to educate and counsel Athletes on the principles and values of Clean Sport, and the ADS Rules.

ADS, NSAs and Participants shall cooperate with each other and the Singapore Government to coordinate their efforts in anti-doping information and education.

ADS will also promote and seek to collaborate with the relevant Singapore Government departments to implement and monitor information and education programmes on Clean Sport for society in general.

ANTI-DOPING EDUCATION & LEARNING (ADEL)

We believe that most athletes in Singapore are True Winners. Knowledge is power, and it is essential for athletes and Athlete Support Personnel to be equipped with knowledge on Clean Sport, such that you are empowered to make the right choices. Education is key, and should be an athlete’s first point of contact for doping control.

The Anti-Doping Education & Learning (ADEL) is a global learning platform by WADA that provides education and learning opportunities for athletes and athletes support personnel.

You are strongly encouraged to register for an account to access the learning resources. Click here to access ADEL.

SUPPLEMENTS

THE USE OF NUTRITIONAL OR DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS IS COMPLETELY AT THE ATHLETE’S OWN RISK, EVEN IF THE SUPPLEMENTS ARE “APPROVED” OR “VERIFIED”.

Anti-Doping Singapore (ADS) does not recommend or advocate that athletes take any supplements, as supplements are not subject to the same rigorous standards as pharmaceutical drugs. Supplements may contain impurities that are not specified on the label, and the impurities may contain prohibited substances.

STRICT LIABILITY

Under the World Anti-Doping Code’s strict liability clause, athletes are responsible for any substance found in their body no matter how it came to be there. If an athlete tests positive to a prohibited substance, it is likely to result in an automatic disqualification from competition and may lead to a sanction and period of ineligibility.

THE RISK OF SUPPLEMENTS

Supplements are not strictly regulated in many countries, including Singapore. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is also not involved in testing supplements. For this reason, ADS and other organisations, including WADA and IOC cannot “approve”, “endorse” or confirm the status of any supplement product. Athletes who test positive to a prohibited substance in a supplement may face the same penalties as someone who is deliberately using the substance to cheat.

Understand what are the issues and risks associated with the use of supplements by athletes at the Supplement 411 website, created by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

Find out what the experts are saying about the use of supplements in sport. Click here to watch an interview with Professor Ron Maughan from Loughborough University.

SUPPLEMENT COMPANY GUARANTEES

Some trade associations and reputable companies are attempting to test supplements and are even “verifying” or “certifying” that certain nutritional or dietary supplements are safe for athletes and others to use. Athletes need to be aware that these verification or certification programs do not guarantee that those dietary or nutritional supplements are free from prohibited substances which can cause an athlete to test positive. In some instances, product ingredients that may contain prohibited substance are also not being listed on the label.

While some supplement manufacturers may guarantee the ingredients in their product, or that the use of the product will not result in a positive test, the athlete is still responsible if a prohibited substance or method is detected. Strict liability applies. Ignorance is no excuse.

RESEARCH

Understanding the fundamental differences between athletes who choose to compete clean and those who resort to doping or why some athletes decided to dope will help ensure doping prevention strategies are effective and efficient.

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) Social Science Research Grant Program was created to ensure that preventive anti-doping education programs were designed using an evidence-based approach.

Annual research grant funding of between USD 20,000 to USD 65,000 are available to organizations keen on research projects that can contribute to doping prevention.

More details on the WADA Social Science Research Grant Program can be found at the WADA website. Please click here.

Watch the video below to learn more about the program.