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Anti-Doping Rights
Athletes have rights in anti-doping because protecting those rights is essential to ensure fairness, safety, respect, and to have justice in sport. Here are some of the rights athletes must be aware of:
- Equal opportunity: Athletes have the right to equal opportunity in their pursuit of sport to perform
- Medical treatment: Athletes have the right to be free from any pressure that puts their health in danger
- Right to justice: Athletes have the right to be treated fairly, including the right to speak and share their side of the story
- Right to education: Athletes have the right to receive anti-doping Education and information
- Right to data protection: Athletes have the right to have their personal information kept safe, used legally, and handled fairly
- Rights during a sample collection: Athletes have the right to ask for additional information, the right to hydrate or drink water, be accompanied by a guardian/chaperone and the right to receive a copy of the records of the sample collection
Anti-Doping Duties
There are some very important anti-doping duties that must be performed by the athletes to make sure the sport is drug-free and fair.
- You must know what the Anti-Doping Rules are and how they impact you
- You must go/report to the ‘Doping Control Station‘ immediately once you are selected
- You must present a valid photo identity card for the test
- You should always stay near or around the chaperone so that he/she can see you
- Follow or perform all the necessary steps during the sample collection
Self-Medication
Self-medication is the use of medications without medical guidance. This can have serious health risks and a negative impact on your sports performance or career. Always consult a doctor before taking any medication. Medical supervision is important for your health and sports career.
Some of the risks of self-medication are:
- Adverse reactions and allergies
- ‘Drug interactions’ or a change in the action or side effects of a medicine caused by another medicine
- You may get dependent on the medicine
- Resistance to medications or the medicine does not work effectively on the bacteria or viruses
- Diagnosis or detection of diseases takes more time
- New medical conditions or new diseases
- Some medicines may contain prohibited substances, and you might not even know it! This can result in positive doping tests
