Anti-Doping organisations commit to Commonwealth Games Legacy for Victoria 2026

National and Regional Anti-Doping Organisations across the Commonwealth came together during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to commit to a programme of cooperation to raise the standard of anti-doping practices ahead of the next Games at Victoria 2026.

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and its international partners agreed to work together on an action plan to share best practices on the lead up to the Games in Victoria, helping to improve the standard of athlete education and the standard of anti-doping process across the Commonwealth.

Speaking at the launch event in Birmingham during the Commonwealth Games, UKAD’s Chief Executive Jane Rumble explained what the project will set out to achieve: “Right at the heart of the legacy project is the ambition to raise anti-doping standards across the Commonwealth.

“UKAD has a lot we can give in terms of our expertise and experience in education for example, but we also have a lot we can learn from other countries.”

President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Dame Louise Martin who attended the launch event, added, “I hope to see that by the time we get to the Games in Victoria 2026, that every athlete, every coach has the benefit and knowledge of all aspects of anti-doping and that they know how to train and compete, knowing that they are competing like for like.”

A steering group of National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) and Regional Anti-Doping Organisations (RADOs) from the UK, Australia, Kenya, the Caribbean, Canada and South-East Asia has been created to drive these partnerships across the Commonwealth. The steering group will map the current anti-doping capabilities of all 72 Commonwealth nations and territories.

UKAD as the host nation NADO for the 2022 Commonwealth Games will undertake the role of Secretariat for the first year of the project. From 2023, this responsibility will be passed to Sport Integrity Australia in preparation for Victoria 2026.

For more information on the Commonwealth Games Anti-Doping Legacy, watch this video.