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WADA partners with the Japan Anti-Doping Agency to promote the Play True message at the Tokyo Games
In the lead up to, and during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is partnering with the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) and other stakeholders to deliver a strong anti-doping program and promote the Play True message. As the host National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) of the Tokyo Games, JADA plays an integral role in coordinating the anti-doping program in partnership with the International Olympic Committee, the International Testing Agency (ITA), the International Paralympic Committee the Tokyo Organizing Committee and WADA.
WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said: “WADA is pleased to work hand in hand with JADA and other stakeholders to deliver a strong anti-doping program for all athletes competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. WADA’s Outreach Program, which has been a long-standing fixture during the Games to raise anti-doping awareness among athletes and others, is not present in Tokyo due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, the Agency’s Play True message is delivered in other ways, including by JADA, to promote clean sport inside the Athlete Village.”
As part of these team efforts, JADA has trained local Olympic and Paralympic Doping Control Officers (DCOs) to work with the International DCOs carrying out doping controls throughout the Tokyo Games. It has also acted as a key member of the Pre-Games Expert Group, a multi-organizational effort being led by the ITA to ensure that every athlete likely to participate in the Games has been adequately tested in the lead up to the event.
WADA’s Director General added: “WADA commends these efforts and is also grateful to JADA for procuring the necessary analytical equipment for the WADA-accredited laboratory in Tokyo, which is conducting all doping control analytical work for the Tokyo Games and is operating on a 24-hour schedule throughout.”
JADA Chairman, Prof. Hidenori Suzuki, said: “Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo is a great honor and a great responsibility for JADA. Ever since the Games were awarded to Tokyo in 2013, JADA has been working in collaboration with our anti-doping partners from across the globe to ensure that our home Games are as fair as possible and that we have the strongest anti-doping program in place of any previous Games. In addition, we have been delighted to deliver the PLAY TRUE 2020 Sport for Tomorrow legacy project over seven years centering on Play True sports values. We hope to leave a lasting imprint on clean sport for years to come.”
JADA’s Tokyo 2020 Legacy Campaigns
The spirit of WADA’s Play True message plays an integral role in everything JADA does, and it is weaved throughout its Tokyo 2020 legacy campaigns. One example is the “i-PLAY TRUE Relay”, which aims to collect “TRUTH” messages and “Filter Pose” photos from athletes and sports fans across the globe – symbolizing the importance of being true to sport and to oneself. These truth messages are then transformed into a collaborative live art piece on the “PLAY TRUE Planet: Sport & Art” initiative which is showcased on a dedicated website and streaming LIVE on YouTube.
Another area that JADA has focused on as part of the Tokyo 2020 legacy projects is through the support it is providing to the NADOs and Regional Anti-Doping Organizations (RADOs) in Asia and Oceania. This includes, for example, JADA’s Memorandums of Understanding with the Southeast Asia RADO and Central Asia RADO, through which it has supported these two RADOs and their 19 member countries through various training and capacity building activities.
In addition to these legacy projects, JADA has developed a “Real Champion Education Package”. The MANGA Doping Control Series including posters, leaflets, and videos such as the one featured below are being displayed across the Games’ athletes village and all sporting venues. These materials provide reminders to athletes of their rights and responsibilities at the doping control station and are free to use by other Anti-Doping Organizations.
Find out more about JADA’s Play True 2020 Sport for Tomorrow Legacy Projects.
Find out more about JADA’s Tokyo 2020 activities in their official pre-Games media release.
