Commonwealth Games England (CGE) will implement the new approach after education programmes for both athletes and their support staff were highlighted as an effective way of tackling and preventing drugs abuse in sport at the World Conference on Doping in Sport, in Johannesburg, last November.

The new partnership between CGE and UKAD will see online education workshops provided for athletes, coaches and team officials in the build-up to Glasgow 2014.

The education programmes contain essential anti-doping information and practical advice, including the risks of doping and each individual's responsibility towards clean sport.

While many of the 400 Team England athletes will have already been through similar anti-doping education programmes run by their respective national governing bodies (NGBs) under the umbrella of  the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) World Anti-Doping Code, UKAD will offer Team England athletes the opportunity to participate on its Clean Sport and Clean Games education workshops also.

In addition, the more than 200 athlete support personnel and Team England staff and officials - including team leaders Peter Stanley, who coached Olympic champion and triple jump world record holder Jonathan Edwards, and Alexei Evangulov who helped guide Tom Daley to diving bronze at London 2012 - will also take part in Advisor or Clean Coach programmes run by UKAD in an effort to cover all bases in terms of anti-doping education.

"For us it was very much how could we work with them [UKAD], not just with the athletes but with the whole support team [in the build-up to Glasgow 2014] and that's why we have introduced this education programme," Claire Furlong, head of media at CGE, told insidethegames.

"The athletes are done through the NGBs and we supplement that while every one of our support team will undertake a UKAD Advisor programme online, whether they are an administrator in the village, one of the medics or part of the media team, we will all have a decent level of education about drug-free sport.

"There will be a decent level of education across the team that is tailored for everyone so an athlete will not take the same programme as a member of the support staff; it is absolutely tailored for each role."

Diving coach Alexei Evangulov will be among the England Team Leaders taking part on the UKAD Advisor and Clean Coach programmes ahead of Glasgow 2014 ©Getty Images


























UKAD was established as an independent body in 2009 and works across more than 40 Olympic, Paralympic and professional sports and follows the World Anti-Doping Code.

It has worked previously with CGE in the run-up to and during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi but this time round the partnership "is more much more advanced to were we've been previously" according to Furlong.

Last month, it was announced that UKAD haD been chosen by Glasgow 2014 organisers and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) to provide anti-doping services at the Games.

"It is fantastic to witness Commonwealth Games England's robust commitment to anti-doping education and their realisation of the important role everyone has to play in clean sport," said Nicola Newman, UKAD's director of communications and education.

"We are delighted to be working alongside them as we strive to protect clean athletes, minimise the risk of doping and create a culture of clean sport in the UK.

"We look forward to a long term continued partnership with CGE."

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