World Anti-Doping Agency co-host education conference with Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport

The World Anti-Doping Agency have held a two-day conference alongside the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport ©WADA

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) has held a two-day conference alongside the World Anti-Doping Agency aimed at improving education and developing further initiatives to help combat doping in sport.

The event in Ottawa was attended by representatives from 61 National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) as well as 18 International Federations and 17 researchers from 50 countries.

A number of resolutions were proposed following the conference, including that all NADOs and Regional Anti-Doping Organisations (RADOs) should evaluate their current programmes to ensure they “reflect a values-based approach to enhance their effectiveness”.

All parties involved must look at dedicating more human and financial resources to values-based anti-doping programmes, with more co-operation between researchers and Anti-Doping Organisations required in future, it has been suggested.

WADA will also stage a follow-up event before 2018 to discuss how the recommended initiatives have been implemented.

“WADA and industry experts recognise that collaboration is paramount to the success of the clean sport campaign,” WADA's senior director for education and NADO/RADO relations Rob Koehler said.

“The Conference was the ideal forum to discuss ways of addressing global issues, with local sensitivities, with the goal of implementing effective information and education programmes.

“There is a clear message that all leaders must invest in values-based education to ensure that we have more effective research-based education going forward.

“Effective education has the power to prevent doping and, in so doing, effect positive change on society as a whole.”

WADA senior director, education and NADO/RADO relations Rob Koehler stressed the need for all involved parties to work together during the conference — Rob Koehler stressed the need for all involved parties to work together during the conference ©Getty Images

The first day of the conference was based on the need for astute education programmes to help educate the world on preventing doping, through examining current research methods as well as discussions about how these schemes can be put into action.

The following day featured broad debates on how this research is vital in helping to plan anti-doping education strategies across the world.

“This Conference provided an important opportunity to fundamentally shift our understanding of how to use sport values to prevent doping,” CCES chief executive Paul Melia added.

“In Canada, for example, we are fostering a social change approach that ensures the values of sport drive the experiences in sport from the time a child enters the sport system.

“We look forward to collaborating with our colleagues from around the world as we continue to advance new values-based educational initiatives.”