The World Squash Federation (WSF) will delegate its entire anti-doping program to the International Testing Agency (ITA) in January 2021, including results management and the development of an education plan for its athletes.
From January 2021 onwards, the ITA will take over the entire anti-doping programme from the WSF and run it independently. Under the four-year contract, the ITA will organise all testing activities (in- and out-of-competition) for the federation driven by an intelligent test distribution plan based on a comprehensive risk assessment.
Furthermore, the ITA will be responsible for WSF’s whereabouts management, the Athlete Biological Passport administration, the verification and issuing of Therapeutic Use Exemptions and all results management.
A review of the existing WSF anti-doping rules by the ITA will support the process of ensuring that they are fully compliant with the requirements of the 2021 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code. The ITA will also develop an education curriculum for squash athletes and will hold awareness-raising webinars tailored to the sport.
“We are very pleased and honoured to welcome World Squash in our organisation”, says Benjamin Cohen, Director General of the ITA.
“Squash is a sport with a long university tradition and is now resolutely focused on bringing the sport to a much higher level together with the Professional Squash Association. We look forward to this partnership for clean sport and will work hard to protect squash along with its values of sportsmanship. The delegation of World Squash’s global anti-doping program to the ITA is a sign of trust and we will make sure that we live up to it by protecting their athletes, leagues and close to 150 Member federations.”
WSF Chief Executive William Louis-Marie said: “We are delighted to partner with the International Testing Agency and are confident that they will run a world-class anti-doping program for us.
“Maintaining a level playing field and providing education for our players is of the utmost importance for us and we believe that working with the International Testing Agency will provide the perfect conditions to allow squash to thrive in the coming years.”
WSF Anti Doping Commission and Medical Commission Chair, Dr. Anne Smith, said: “Squash has pride in the fact it is a clean sport and it intends to continue to ‘play true’ in the future. The WSF contracting with the ITA gives us the independence needed and will play an important role in ensuring squash remain a clean sport.
“I am looking forward to working with ITA closely over the course of this four-year contract to ensure all anti-doping activities go smoothly in the best interests of the athletes and all concerned.”