UEFA supporting WADA’s Play True Day
Friday, April 14, 2023
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Annual awareness day stresses importance of clean sport.
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UEFA has today underlined its commitment to combating doping and promoting clean competition by supporting the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) 2023 Play True Day, which unites athletes, governing bodies, event organisers, governments and anti-doping agencies under a common banner, #OnePlayTrueTeam.
UEFA’s approach to anti-doping is based around the twin pillars of education and testing. It is our belief that a comprehensive education strategy is the first line of defence to protect both individual players and the wider integrity of European football. During the 2021/22 season, UEFA delivered awareness sessions to over 1,500 players from 52 national teams competing in the final tournaments of its men’s and women’s youth competitions.
This commitment to teaching players about the dangers of doping and the need for clean sport extends to our member associations, all 55 of which have submitted education projects that will see over 43,000 players and 5,300 coaching and medical staff receive targeted training in this field in the course of the 2022/23 season.
In terms of testing, WADA figures show that football remains the most tested sport, ahead of athletics and cycling. UEFA alone collects around 3,000 blood and urine samples every season, ranking the organisation third in the world for the number of tests conducted by a sports body.
On the club front, UEFA’s focus on raising the standards of its women’s competitions will include a marked increase in testing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, with this season seeing samples collected not only in competition but also out of competition for the first time. To achieve this objective, the number of female UEFA doping control officers has risen from 11 to 18 within the last 12 months.