Protect Your Sport – It takes a team!

Speak openly when something feels wrong.

UK Anti-Doping's Protect Your Sport initiative supports athletes and those working in sport to speak out and report suspicions around doping activity. Each report helps UKAD’s Intelligence and Investigations Team gather the evidence needed to build a legal case and catch those who choose to cheat in sport.

There are three channels within Protect Your Sport that individuals can use to raise a concern. They can raise concerns via email, anonymous hotline or an online form. Although the information will always be passed on anonymously, the initiative encourages people to speak openly as UKAD seeks to strike out the stigma around reporting. 

Anonymous intelligence is useful to UKAD, but it can also be limiting. We might just need one extra bit of information or clarification for us to be able to act or to find something out. That’s one of the key shifts in our messaging – you can report your concerns anonymously, but we would favour you coming to us and having a confidential conversation. 

We understand that it can take time to gather the evidence; sometimes weeks, months, or even years. But each piece of information is contributing to building a picture that UKAD can act on further. It’s also vital we change the mindset of, ‘I’m not sure, it’s not worth it’ because every contribution is valued. 

Athletes want to be competing on a level playing field and those that cheat are taking opportunities and success away from others. But for people watching too, they want to know that what they’re watching is real and that it’s a fair field. Protecting sport takes teamwork and reporting your concerns is absolutely the right thing to do. 

If you are ever in any doubt about passing your concerns to UKAD you can always contact us via PYS@reportdoping.com. One of our team will be happy to talk you through the process on a strictly confidential basis before you make the decision to report your concerns. 

Written by David Cox, UKAD Senior Intelligence Coordinator for Clean Sport Week 2023. 

Protect Your Sport was launched in November 2020. Since then, the number of reported cases to UKAD has risen rapidly - 50% more in 2022 in comparison to 2021.  

Search: Protect Your Sport and find out more about how you can report your concerns around doping activity in sport, and what happens after you’ve come forward.