Anti-Doping
Anti-Doping
Vision Sports Ireland is the National Governing Body (NGB) for sport for blind and vision impaired people in Ireland. Vision Sports Ireland promotes an ethos of ‘clean sport’ that is fair to all. To this end VSI has adopted an Anti-Doping Policy and requires that all its members comply with it. This policy complies with the Anti-Doping Rules of Sport Ireland, with the Anti-Doping Code of WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) and with the Anti-Doping Policy of the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA).
Vision Sports Ireland’s Constitution specifically refers to our Anti-Doping Policy. Please note the following extract:
Article 4: Anti-Doping
Article 4: Anti-Doping
4.1) The Anti-Doping rules of Vision Sports Ireland are Sport Ireland’s Anti-Doping Rules as amended from time to time or as substituted, supplemented or altered.
4.2) Individual players / athletes and members will be required to:
- (a) Subscribe to a drug free ethos in sport.
- (b) Participate in Sport Ireland’s Anti-doping programme.
- (c) Undertake, if required, any urine or non-urine based testing techniques operated by the relevant International Federations.
It is important that all people participating (as competitors, coaches or as assistants) in either national or international competitive events become familiar with their responsibilities, and their rights, in relation to complying with anti-doping programmes. They should also make themselves familiar with the procedures used during the testing process itself. Assistance can be provided by a PA when a vision impaired person is being tested to help with reading and completing the required paperwork and other tasks. Members of Vision Sports Ireland must comply with the Anti-Doping Rules and Regulations.
The current reality is that only those attending and competing at high level national and international competitions are likely to be selected for drug testing but all members need to be aware that testing could occur at any time.
Vision Sports condemns either the use of banned substances or the use of banned methods for improving performance during competitive sport.
Vision Sports Ireland supports fairness and equality during competition and believes that doping, or the use of banned doping methods, will not provide this. Neither will doping promote good health for its members. We believe that using any illegal substances or doping methods is against the spirit of sport.
All members, individual players / athletes, managers / coaches and PAs are required to:
- Comply with the Vision Sports Ireland Anti Doping Policy and support a drug free ethos in sport.
- Participate in Sport Ireland’s Anti-doping programme.
- Submit to any Anti Doping testing, as required, requested by the relevant International Federations. Assistance can be provided by a PA when a vision impaired person is being tested to help with reading and completing the required paperwork and other tasks.
Anti-Doping Rule Violations
Vision Sports are required to take action if the anti-doping rules are contravened. This is called an anti-Doping Violation. An anti-doping violation is deemed to have occurred if there is evidence of:
- Presence of a Prohibited Substance in an Athlete’s Sample
- Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method
- Refusing or failing to do a drug test after notification
- Committing Three Whereabouts Failures (Filing Failures or Missed Tests) in 12 months
- Tampering
- Possession of Prohibited Substances and/or Prohibited Methods
- Trafficking in any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method
- Administration to an Athlete of any Prohibited Method or Prohibited Substance; assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up
- Complicity or Attempted Complicity – Involvement in an ADRV committed by another person, such as helping to cover up that ADRV or avoid detection, will be sanctioned in the same way as that violation.
- Prohibited Association –Associating with a person such as a coach, doctor or physio who has been found guilty of an ADRV or equivalent offence to a doping violation will be sanctioned with a ban of up to 2 years.
- Protection of Whistle-blowers – it is an ADRV to threaten another person or to discourage that person from reporting to authorities of information relating to an ADRV, non-compliance with the Code or other doping activity, or to retaliate against another person for doing so
Under the Irish Anti-Doping rules which are updated from time to time, in the unlikely event one of our athletes fails a test it is Sport Ireland who will then prosecute a case against the athlete. As the NGB, Vision Sports Ireland will continue to have a number of responsibilities in relation to anti-doping activities.
Anti-Doping Resources/Information
Link to Vision Sports Ireland Anti-Doping Policy
Link to Sport Ireland’s Anti-Doping website
Link to current Irish Anti Doping Rules of Sport Ireland
List to current List of Prohibited Substances and Methods
Contact Information
The Vision Sports Ireland Anti-Doping Officer is Sara Mc Fadden. Should you wish to get in contact with regards to any anti-doping related queries, email info@visionsports.ie
For further Anti-Doping Information, please refer to Sport Ireland Anti-Doping on:
Email: antidoping@sportsireland.ie
Web: http://www.sportireland.ie/Anti-Doping
Telephone: 018608800