Georgian GADA becomes 29th National Anti-Doping Agency to enter agreement with the ITA

In line with its commitment to further enhance clean sport efforts worldwide through close cooperation with national and regional anti-doping organisations (RADOs), the ITA has signed a collaboration agreement with the Georgian Anti-Doping Agency, the country’s National Anti-Doping Agency (NADO). The new partnership focuses on harmonising testing efforts to ensure an effective allocation of resources and intelligence-led programs at both national and international levels.

This new collaboration also supports the exchange of information between the ITA and GADA which will benefit both potential investigations and intelligence-led doping controls in Georgia and for the country’s athletes.

“We are pleased to officialise our collaboration with the Georgian Anti-Doping Agency and to enter into an agreement with a NADO who until the last year was an active member of the now dissolved East European Regional Anti-Doping Organisation,” says ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen. “The GADA testing workforce has also participated in the ITA International Doping Control Officer (IDCO) Training & Certification Program, allowing us to jointly implement testing missions in accordance with global best practice and strict compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code in Georgia and on Georgian athletes.”

“It is extremely important for us to collaborate with the ITA, an organization that coordinates effective testing programs around the world and also ensures that test collection personnel comply with the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Code and the International Standard for Testing and Investigations. Taking cooperation to a new level, by signing a collaboration agreement, will contribute to the correct and effective implementation of our national testing program and continuous training of our doping control officers, which will allow us to strengthen the fight against doping in sports,” says Professor Pavle Kasradze, Chair of the GADA.

GADA is the 29^th NADO to enter into a bilateral collaboration agreement with the ITA. The ITA has also partnered with over 40 other NADOs and RADOs next to GADA over the past two years to deliver advanced training and certification to their workforce. The ITA strongly believes that the anti-doping community is able to bring the support of athletes to the next level by working hand-in-hand. Consequently, the ITA will continue to welcome to its network other National and Regional Anti-Doping Organisations that wish to strengthen synergies between national and international level anti-doping programs.