📋 Tender Overview
Anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) can be committed intentionally, but also out of negligence without any intention to break anti-doping rules. Both groups of sanctioned athletes are specified as a mandatory target group for education provision by the WADA International Standard for Education (ISE, 2021), yet, to date, little is known about this group. Thus, this project will use life-story interviews to explore sanctioned athletes’ experiences, feelings, perception, handling of their ADRVs and support needs. In focus group settings we will also explore clean athletes’ concerns about reintegration of sanctioned athletes. We will use community-based participatory research to formulate policy recommendations, as well as education strategies and materials. Together with the community, we will discuss how the relationship of sanctioned athletes to sport, clean sport and anti-doping is shaped and how rehabilitation and space for reparation can be incorporated into anti-doping. The results will inform future education programs for emerging young athletes as well as for sanctioned athletes, develop guidance for supporting sanctioned athletes if they return to sport or pursue career elsewhere. Beneficiaries of the project will be athletes and anti-doping code signatories with responsibility for education (anti-doping organisations and national, and international sport federations), but outputs can also be incorporated into education for Athlete Support Personnel in Europe and beyond. Next to scientific outputs and the generation of new knowledge, the practical outputs will be sport policy recommendations, a framework for managing sanctioned athletes, education resources for young emerging athletes, and a detailed education program for sanctioned athletes as mandated by the ISE. The outputs, through the athlete-centred recommendations and bespoke contribution to protecting and promoting clean and fair sport, is expected to have positive impact on anti-doping legitimacy.
