The International University Sports Federation Medical Committee has held two days of meetings in Lausanne ©FISU

The International University Sports Federation (FISU) Medical Committee has held two days of meetings in Lausanne, which included extensive discussion surrounding the current situation in the global anti-doping fight and the direct and indirect implications for FISU.

The meetings, which took place at FISU’s headquarters, also saw more information provided by a representative of the Global Association of International Sports Federations’ Doping-Free Sport Unit, soon to be the Independent Testing Agency (ITA), with which FISU has an ongoing collaboration for its events.

More than 400 tests are planned for the World University Championships this year.

Participants were welcomed by FISU secretary general and chief executive Eric Saintrond, who highlighted the relevance of the Medical Committee's work not only at FISU events but equally in the current changing times in sport's medical and anti-doping field. 

The sessions were led by Medical Committee chair Dusan Hamar.  

An update on the "Check-Up Your Heart" programme, which took place at the 2017 Summer Universiade in Taiwan’s capital Taipei, was also presented.

This included perspectives on the programme in preparation for the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples.

The meeting was held at FISU's headquarters in Lausanne ©FISU
The meeting was held at FISU's headquarters in Lausanne ©FISU

The second day of meetings brought about more administrative work, focusing mainly on minimum requirements of FISU events, as well as the financial responsibilities of Organising Committees, participating countries and FISU in the context of medical care at competitions.

The FISU Medical Committee established a working group to study in further detail the specificities of insurance and associated coverages entailed in the medical field of sporting events.

The meeting concluded with an extensive discussion around the topic of concussion in sport and the review of this specific item in the FISU medical care regulations.

It also included a progress report on the 2018 World University Championships, as well as summaries of the 2017 Summer and Winter Universiades, the latter of which was held in Almaty in Kazakhstan.

Around 750 samples were collected at the Taipei 2017 Summer Universiade.

Hamar was in charge of doping controls at the event.

Doping procedures, including out-of-competition testing, officially began when the Athletes' Village opened a week prior to the Opening Ceremony.