All six participants in the tournament were involved in the hour long programme presented by the IPC Anti-Doping Committee member Joseph de Pencier.

But it was the Japanese contingent who impressed the most as they explained how following anti-doping rules should be "just like obeying a referee's calls on the ice".

"Just follow the rules - it's so simple," said Japanese goaltender Mitsuru Nagase.

"There's no strategy or way around anti-doping but top athletes just follow the rules.

"That's what they're there for - to keep our sport fair and clean."

Nagase, part of the Japan team which won a surprise silver medal at Vancouver 2010, explained that Japanese athletes possibly had less incentives to cheat than those elsewhere.

"In some countries, if athletes win a gold medal, they win money, houses or cars, so they do everything they can to win - but not in Japan," he explained.

"However, following the anti-doping rules in sledge hockey should be like following any other rules on the ice or obeying any of the referees' calls.

"The education part, you should take advantage of because your sledge association or the IPC can tell you how to easily follow those anti-doping rules so you can focus all your efforts on the sport itself."

Japan celebrate their surprise silver medal at the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver


Japanese ice sledge hockey team trainer Chie Sasaki said she always holds a minimum of two anti-doping education sessions per year for her athletes, with at least one prior to each season.

However at a more general level Japanese athletes have a consistently excellent record when it comes to anti-doping.

The Japanese Anti Doping Agency was set up in 2001 and was recognised last year by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for developing specific programmes in Japan for testing, education and information, Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) and sports pharmacy.

Although their have been cases of failed drugs tests no Japanese has ever failed one during an Olympic or a Paralympic Games.
 
Last month this revelation was hailed as a major reason for Tokyo's victorious bid to host the 2020 Games.

Japan's far superior record than those of the rival bids from Spain and Turkey was something raised during the presentation stage at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Buenos Aires and was likely to have swayed several undecided voters. 

Japan's record is also far superior than those in many other Paralympic sports and particularly in powerlifting where a gluttony of failed tests by athletes from multiple nations led to the recent unveiling of a new IPC programme entitled "Natural power – Say No! to Doping."

Meanwhile, WADA has already approved the 2014 list of prohibited substances and methods, which will come into effect on January 1 and will consequently directly affecting those ice sledge hockey players participating in Sochi next year. 

In addition, earlier this month WADA published its draft 2015 World Anti-Doping Code which is to be adopted at the world conference on doping in sport in Johannesburg in November.

The new IPC anti-doping rules will be aligned with the World Code and will also commence on January 1