STOWA Anti Doping Policy
Date of latest publication - March 2022
All athletes have the right to compete in sport knowing that
they and their competitors are clean. We believe in clean sport and work in
partnership with our International Federation, The Tug of War International
Federation (TWIF) http://tugofwar-twif.org to ensure that the integrity of our
sport is protected.
Anti-Doping Rules
The Scottish Tug of War Association (STOWA) has adopted the TWIF
Anti-Doping Rules (ADR’s) 2021 that all athletes and support personnel must
abide by. The TWIF ADRs are consistent
with the World Anti-Doping Code 2021, the core document that harmonises
anti-doping policies, rules and regulations with sport
globally.
The TWIF ADRs adopted by the STOWA are available here https://tugofwar-twif.org/anti-doping/rules
If you are a member of the STOWA then the anti-doping rules
apply to you, regardless of what level you participate at.
Anti-Doping Violations
Breaking the anti-doping rules can result in a ban from ALL sport. The ADRs outlines the Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). Athletes and support personnel need to make sure they are fully aware of these violations and the consequences of breaking them. For more information and what this means for those individuals see https://tugofwar-twif.org/anti-doping/rules
The Big Picture – Top tips for clean sport.
An athlete is responsible for anything found in their
system, regardless of how it got there or whether there is any intention to
cheat. All athletes and support personnel should make themselves area of the
risks, so they don’t receive an unintentional ban from sport. Useful information for athletes can be found
here https://tugofwar-twif.org/2016/08/15/anti-doping/
The Prohibited List
All prohibited substances and methods in Code-compliant
sports are detailed in the Prohibited List. Substances and methods
documentation which can be added to at anytime,
however it is updated as a minimum once a year, coming into effect on 1st
January. The latest Prohibited List and be found on the WADA
(https://www.wada-ama.org/en) and TWIF websites. As this list is updated
frequently, athletes and support personnel should make sure they check it
regularly for any changes.
Checking Medication
Before taking any medication, whether from a doctor or
purchased over the counter, athletes must check to make sure it doesn’t contain
any prohibited substances. Medications
(ingredients or brand name) can be checked online at Global DRO. It is important to note that medications
bought in one country may contain different ingredients to the same branded
medication in another country. For more information on checking medications,
visit http://globaldro.com/home If being prescribed medication it is
vital that you inform the Doctor providing that prescription that you are
subject to the WADA Prohibited List and that they will need to provide
extensive supporting evidence if the prescription is on the prohibited list.
Taking Nutritional Supplements
The STOWA always advises a food first approach to nutrition,
as there are not guarantees that any supplement is
free from prohibited substances.
Athletes can support their training and progress towards targets by
eating and enjoying nutritious food. With a bit of planning, it is possible to eat
a healthy diet made up of a variety of food types at the right time and in the
right quantities.
Athletes should assess the needs, risks
and the consequences before deciding to take a supplement and if they need to
use one, visit The Informed Sport website to check whether the supplement have
been batch tested. More advice on
managing supplement risks can be found on UKAD’s Supplement Hub https://www.ukad.org.uk/athletes/managing-supplement-risks
Applying for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)
If an athlete with a legitimate medical condition needs to
use a prohibited substance, they will need to apply for a TUE. This is only
accepted if there are no other suitable permitted medications or treatments
that can be used and there is a strict, detailed process to determine
this. If you have not been a TWIF
accredited puller, you apply tohttps://www.ukad.org.uk/tue-application and use
the TUE Wizard to find out whether you need to apply for a TUE and who to submit
your application to.
What happens in a test?
Athletes should feel prepared and know their rights and
responsibilities when they are notified to be tested by a Chaperone or Doping
Control Officer. Check out the process here https://www.ukad.org.uk/violations/testing-process or in Article 5 of the TWIF ADRs
https://tugofwar-twif.org/anti-doping/rules/
Protect Our Sport
Protecting clean sport depends on everyone playing their
part – athletes, coaches or parents, whether on centre
stage of behind the scenes. Speak out if you feel there is something wrong, no
matter how small. The STOWA guarantee
that your identity will always be kept 100% confidential.
For domestic competitions, please first contact the Association
Secretary.
For International Competitions – contact anti-doping@thetwif.org
Further Information
Please do not hesitate to ask regarding rules around
anti-doping, as well as asking the STOWA, athletes may also gather further
information from https://tugofwar-twif.org/2016/08/15/anti-doping/
Alternatively contact the STOWA anti-doping officer.