Clean Sport Education - European Judo Federation

Judo is a sport that prides itself on the values it instills in its practitioners, whether competitive ability or not. Honesty is one of these elements, as is respect, and they both go hand in hand when we talk about “clean sport” and anti-doping.

For many of the athletes competing here in Odivelas, Portugal, during the 2023 World Junior Championships, their knowledge of doping is likely minimal, but education is essential. Therefore, on the third day of the tournament, the International Judo Federation established an access point, to attract both athletes and training staff less exposed to doping to learn how the anti-doping process works, the tasks prepared for winning prizes, and most importantly to be informed about how to fully cooperate with WADA. (World Anti-Doping Agency), and the ADAMS (Anti-Doping Management and Management System) process.

With the assistance of Educational Assistant to the President of the Judo Federation and Assistant President of the International Judo Federation, Denisa DeLeo, IJF Anti-Doping Commissioner Andrea Imber is working to educate the judo community on their responsibilities, and liaise with athletes, coaches and doctors.

In order to achieve this goal, Ember has developed a written strategy that is currently being developed into a web form so that the experience is interactive for participants. At the conclusion of the course, a certificate will be awarded. Nowadays, this will be recommended to everyone, with the hope that it will become a mandatory task for competitors, as their responsibilities are not only focused on the tatami. As the content is now only available in English and French, access is limited, but if it can be produced in enough languages to make it a mandatory component, it will be extremely beneficial for athletes.

These educational opportunities are very important, as innocent mistakes can be very costly. At the point of arrival, there are many photos, examples of items that look identical, but contain different materials depending on the continent on which they were produced and sold.

Imber has attended major training camps in the past to maintain contact with athletes and coaches, and remains available and accessible. Given how important this aspect of the sport is, we are thrilled to have Ember attend camps including the populous Mittersill, Austria.

Author: Thea Quinn