22 May 2023
To mark Clean Sport Week – UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD) national awareness week – Jersey’s Island
Games Team will be ensuring that they have the knowledge and skills to compete clean at the
Guernsey Island Games.
Team members will learn about the implications of taking banned substances and how to check
medicines and supplements to ensure they know how to avoid inadvertently taking something they
shouldn’t. They will also learn about what happens during a doping test and their rights and
responsibilities if they are selected for a test.
Clean Sport Week, which runs from Monday 22 to Friday 26 May and has the theme Teamwork in
Clean Sport, follows a significant milestone in the establishment of the framework to ensure that
Jersey meets international standards. The Assistant Minister with responsibility for sport, Deputy Lucy
Stephenson, recently signed a Ministerial Decision, bringing the Anti-Doping And National Compliance Platform Policy into force.
Deputy Stephenson said: “Clean Sport Week is an excellent opportunity not only to ensure that
Jersey’s athletes and coaches understand the international standards that we meet for ensuring that
we compete cleanly, but also to ensure that everyone is aware of Jersey’s position.
“The training in anti-doping that our Island Games Team will be receiving this week is a great
illustration of the kind of processes that will become commonplace to ensure that we can be seen to
understand and apply international standards.”
The National Compliance Platform has been set up to ensure that Jersey continues to comply with
international obligations under the UNESCO Anti-Doping Convention. It includes representatives from
Government, Jersey Sport, the Jersey Commonwealth Games Association, Island Games Association of
Jersey, Highlands College, Strive Academy and Jersey Reds as well as athlete and coaches. It will meet
regularly to identify and apply world standards locally.
The Anti-Doping Policy requires sports organisations to promote the clean sport message to
participants and personnel including medical professionals, coaches, and sport therapists. The policy
also outlines the sanctions which Jersey athletes could face if they test positive for a prohibited
substance.
Deputy Stephenson said: “We have to demonstrate that we take this seriously; everyone needs to be
aware that those who cheat by taking prohibited substances risk being withdrawn from representing
Jersey and having any support that they receive suspended.”
gov.je