ITA and ANOC discuss support to NOCs and ANOC with clean sport programs

On Saturday, 5 February 2022, a meeting was held in Beijing, China, between the two organisations during the Olympic Winter Games. ITA Chair of the Board Dr. Valérie Fourneyron and ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen met with ANOC Senior Vice-President and Acting President Dr. Robin Mitchell, Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg and Executive Council Member Michael Chambers.

The two organisations took this encounter as an opportunity to touch base on their respective activities and, in particular, those of interest to ANOC’s members. Prior to this, Dr. Fourneyron had participated in ANOC’s General Assembly in October 2021 and presented the ITA’s activities at the event.

As the umbrella organisation responsible for protecting and advancing the interests of the world’s 205 NOCs, ANOC provides daily support to its members and strives to equip them with all the required tools to promote and develop sport in their respective countries. This also includes developments in the fight against doping, which is a key item insofar as it protects athletes’ health and guarantees the integrity of sports competitions worldwide.

During the meeting, the parties agreed to continue exploring ways for ANOC and the ITA to support all NOCs in their efforts to keep sport clean. Also discussed was the ITA’s management of anti-doping programs for the ANOC Beach Games and those of Continental Associations holding Major Events. The parties also agreed to further explore the delivery of dedicated training initiatives to athlete support personnel and NOC anti-doping workforce by the ITA, with a priority focus on those NOCs that lack the necessary resources to implement effective clean sport education activities – in particular in countries where no NADOs are present and the NOC acts as the responsible body for the fight against doping on national level.

This exchange builds on the ANOC General Assembly’s resolution adopted in 2018 stating that “ANOC fully supports the International Testing Agency (ITA) and calls for all NOCs and Continental Associations to join the ITA as Major Event Organizers (MEOs) to ensure the protection of Clean Athletes”, the parties agreed to continue meeting on a regular basis to further promote the protection of athletes worldwide and the promotion of the Olympic values of integrity and fair-play.”