Unusually, the first activity of the camp was an educational session on Anti-Doping, held fully online on the 2 March 2021, and opened up to attendees across the world.

With the new changes to the World Anti-Doping Code, in force from 1 January 2021, completing certain educational courses is mandatory for the ITTF Registered Testing Pool players.

Olya Abasolo Ovtchinnikova, Education Manager at the International Testing Agency (ITA), presented an “Anti-Doping Guide for Players and Coaches”. Attendees were familiarized with the changes in the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards and the ITTF Anti-Doping Rules, the doping control process and an athlete’s rights with regards to this, how to ensure that a prescribed medication is compliant with the regulations or how to obtain a therapeutic use exemption. Olya also touched upon the difference between in-competition testing during an event and out of competition testing, and an athlete’s responsibilities with regards to reporting on their whereabouts and use of the ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration & Management System).

Olya’s presentation and information on further educational resources can be downloaded here: https://www.ittfeducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ITTF-Webinar-2021-03-02-RESOURCE-DECK.pdf

Building on the ITA’s belief in athlete empowerment with knowledge and information as one of the most effective ways to protect clean sport, the ITA holds webinars on anti-doping topics on a monthly basis. ITA website.

While the practical sessions of the 2021 ITTF High Performance Training Camp in Doha are in full swing, we are gearing up for more educational sessions next week.

On Monday 8 March, Dr. Samuel Pullinger will be talking about “Sleeping Habits and Injury Prevention in High Performance Sports”. Again, the session will be opened up to attendees not present in Doha and will be fully online. We kick off at 20:15 GMT+3. To sign up, please register here: https://bit.ly/HP_TC_Injury_Prevention

On Wednesday 11 March, Matt Pound, WTT Managing Director, will hold a Media Training Session to ensure participants are fully equipped to handle media requests – a useful tool now that international competitions are back! To sign up, please register here: https://bit.ly/HP_TC_Media

Massimo Costantini, ITTF High Performance Elite Coach: “There is no proper high performance without the educational component, and we are very grateful to Olya for sharing her vast knowledge on anti-doping. Athletes must not only be aware of the rules and procedures of Anti-Doping, but also of the risks involved should they be found in breach. All elements of the Anti-Doping procedures and rules are a must-know for our athletes, which is why this session was a crucial part of our training camp.”

Ramon ORTEGA-MONTES (ITTF Head of Education): “As in January 1^st 2021, the new World Anti-Doping Code and the eight International Standards became active and in action, the information provided in this educational session is very important for international professional players and coaches to know which educational courses are available and how to access them, as completion of these courses is a mandatory component of the new Anti-Doping code”.