Sport Integrity Australia has moved to strengthen its anti-doping program by signing a partnership agreement with the International Testing Agency (ITA).

The collaboration and service agreement will see Sport Integrity Australia and the Swiss-based ITA working together on a range of programs and initiatives, including the coordination of the testing of athletes under their respective authority and the sharing of information for athletes under the specific anti-doping authority.

The agreement aims at facilitating the sharing of intelligence and information between the two organisations, as well as an efficient planning of doping controls.

It will also allow the ITA to appoint Sport Integrity Australia to act as a sample collection authority or provide anti-doping services, in addition to reciprocal access to all relevant Athlete Blood Passport data, Athlete Passport Management Unit reports and test results.

Sport Integrity Australia CEO, David Sharpe, said the agreement strengthens anti-doping capabilities in Australia and around the world. 

“This partnership with the International Testing Agency significantly enhances Sport Integrity Australia’s anti-doping operations and builds on the agency’s existing capabilities,” Mr Sharpe said.

“Sport Integrity Australia is always looking to work with and learn from other anti-doping agencies and to protect innocent athletes. By partnering with other leading global anti-doping agencies like the ITA we are strengthening the testing program for clean athletes in Australia and abroad.”

Javid Nikpour/Tasnimnews via Wiki Commons. Creative Attribution 4.0

ITA Director General, Benjamin Cohen, said the collaboration will benefit both potential investigations and intelligence-led doping controls in Australia and for the country’s athletes.

“Sport Integrity Australia is a well-developed and strong integrity agency – in Australia, but also within the larger anti-doping community,” Mr Cohen said.

“Sport Integrity Australia is a progressive and innovative integrity player that inspires us when it comes to learning, sharing knowledge and best practice, and further developing our mutual activities for the benefit of athletes and sport in general. We are very pleased about this cooperation agreement which will help us to ensure better organisation of testing and coordination of any intelligence or investigative activities on Australian soil to help protect Australian and international-level athletes.”

Sport Integrity Australia is the National Anti-Doping Organisation for Australia while the ITA delivers independent expert anti-doping programs for International Federations and major event organisers requesting support with their anti-doping activities.

The ITA has established bilateral collaboration agreements with over 30 National and Regional Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs/RADOs) and has partnered with over 57 anti-doping organisations in recent years to deliver advanced training and certification to their workforce.

Feature image: CBP Photography via Wiki Commons, Public Domain.