Under this partnership, which begins immediately and will run until the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the ITA will deliver expert anti-doping services covering key areas of an anti-doping programme, such as risk assessments, test distribution planning, out-of-competition testing, management of results and of the IJF’s biological passport programme, administration of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), and follow-up on any matter related to the compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code.
This partnership demonstrates the IJF’s leadership, by embracing a new independent model to fight against doping, and sends a decisive message that doping has no place in the sport of judo. The IJF’s commitment is another strong endorsement of the ITA as the world leader in delivering anti-doping programmes for sport. The IJF joins 33 International Federations and Major Event Organisers that have already chosen to partner with the ITA.
Following the announcement, IJF President Marius Vizer said: “The IJF is committed to clean sport and we want to guarantee our members, fans and judoka that judo is and will always be a sport where the principles of sincerity and respect are upheld as per the Judo Moral Code. Partnering with the ITA is another sign of our commitment to clean sport and to ITA’s values of integrity, excellence and equality. We look forward to this long term partnership for the good of judo.”
Benjamin Cohen, Director General of the ITA, said: “We are delighted to announce the IJF as the latest International Sports Federation to join us at the ITA. It is important that the entire sports movement comes together in working to protect clean sport and to uphold the values of integrity and respect that sport must convey. We look forward to a strong and productive relationship with the IJF in the run-up to Tokyo 2020. The ITA team will work tirelessly to ensure that ITA’s expertise will serve IJF and equip the sport of judo with a strong global anti-doping programme.”