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WADA publishes IOC Anti-Doping Rules for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

A WADA statement said “The IOC, as the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) Signatory responsible for establishing the Rules applicable to the Games, has established and adopted these Rules to be in line with the 2021 Code and International Standards; most notably, the 2022 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods, which was published on 30 September 2021 and comes into force ahead of the Games on 1 January 2022. The Rules will cover the period from the opening of the Olympic Village on 27 January until the day of the closing ceremony on 20 February 2022.”

Appeal filed by Aleksandr Shustov is dismissed and the initial sanctions are confirmed

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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the appeal arbitration procedure between the Russian high jumper Aleksandr Shustov and World Athletics (WA) & the Russian Athletics Federation (RUSAF). The CAS Panel confirmed the decision dated 5 June 2020 (the Challenged Decision) in which Aleksandr Shustov was found to have violated Rule 32.2(b) of the 2012-2013 IAAF Competition Rules in force in 2013 ("Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method.") and sanctioned with a four-year period of ineligibility commencing on 5 June 2020 and the disqualification of all competitive results obtained by him from 8 July 2013 to 7 July 2017.

UEFA welcomes European Parliament Resolution on EU sport policy

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The European Parliament today adopted a comprehensive resolution on EU Sport Policy and called for action to protect European sport from the threat of breakaway competitions like the attempted European super league. Spearheaded by former Polish international football player, MEP Tomasz Frankowski, the Resolution was approved by an overwhelming majority of the European Parliament’s members from the 27 member states of the European Union.

UKAD announce Jane Rumble as new Chief Executive

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  • Jane Rumble joins UKAD from Ofcom where she is the Change Director
  • Starts role in March 2022
  • UKAD Chair Trevor Pearce ‘delighted’ with appointment and highlights Jane Rumble’s extensive regulatory experience

Former Atlanta Dream Players Courtney Williams & Crystal Bradford Suspended

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 The WNBA announced today that former Atlanta Dream players Courtney Williams and Crystal Bradford have been suspended without pay for their roles in an altercation outside of an Atlanta-area club in May and for related health and safety protocol violations.  Williams’ suspension is for two games and Bradford’s suspension is for one game.

ICC launches strategy for Global Growth

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The International Cricket Council today unveiled its global growth strategy which places women’s cricket firmly at the heart of its long-term ambitions. The strategy which has been developed in partnership with ICC Members is aimed at strengthening, growing, and protecting the game with the vision of more players, more fans and more nations enjoying cricket.

The ICC appoints Geoff Allardice as CEO

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) today confirmed Geoff Allardice has been appointed as the organisation’s permanent CEO after more than eight months in the role on an interim basis.

Allardice, a former first-class cricketer, was the ICC General Manager, Cricket for eight years having previously held a similar role at Cricket Australia. 

WADA co-edits book on emerging drugs in sport

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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is proud to announce the publication today of a new book, Emerging Drugs in Sport, that was co-edited by WADA’s Senior Director of Science and Medicine, Dr. Olivier Rabin.

The book is the first of its kind on the use of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS)* in sports and features contributions by multidisciplinary leading experts in the field. Co-edited in collaboration with Professor Ornella Corazza, Associate Professor in Substance Addiction and Behaviours at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom and a leading scholar in the field of Novel Psychoactive Substances, the book provides the latest findings on anti-doping including anti-doping techniques, regulation, policy and market structure of NPS used in sports.

WNBA Approves New Playoff Format

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The WNBA Board of Governors approved changes to the league’s playoff format and postseason seeding, effective with the 2022 season, the WNBA announced today.  The reconfigured postseason structure will include three rounds of series-play using a best-of 3-5-5 format.

Beginning with the WNBA’s 26th season, the eight teams with the highest winning percentages over a 36-game schedule regardless of conference will qualify for the playoffs and be seeded based on their record. All eight playoff teams will participate in first-round, bracket-style play consisting of four best-of-three series.

EFL statement: Reading Football Club

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Reading Football Club has been deducted six points from this season’s (2021/22) points tally, with a further six points suspended until the end of the 2022/23 Season, after admitting to breaches of the EFL’s Profitability and Sustainability rules (P&S).

It follows a review of the financial submission from the Club for the four-year period 2017/18 to 2020/21 where it was determined the Club had recorded a loss of £57.8m, £18.8m in excess of the £39.0m Upper Loss Threshold.

Independent misconduct hearing update: Rassie Erasmus and SA Rugby

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ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE INDEPENDENT MISCONDUCT COMMITTEE

An independent misconduct committee has found that behaviour displayed by SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus towards match officials during this year’s test series between South Africa and the British and Irish Lions constituted misconduct.

The committee was chaired by Christopher Quinlan QC, together with Nigel Hampton QC and Judge Mike Mika (both New Zealand).

AFC President discusses plans to raise Asian football with ANFA President

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Manama: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa met with the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) President Karma Tsering Sherpa, with the AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John also in attendance.
Shaikh Salman welcomed the ANFA President to Bahrain and emphasised the importance of continuous engagement with the Asian football family and discussed the possible ways to further develop the game, as well as to strengthen the spirit of collaboration between the AFC and its Member Associations (MAs). 

ATP Announces Rule Changes To Speed Play

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ATP has announced new rules relating to toilet breaks, attire changes to come into effect from 2022, in addition to a proposed change to the Medical Time Out rule (start date TBC).

Toilet Break & Change of Attire (Effective 2022)

UK Sport introduces pregnancy guidance for Olympic and Paralympic athletes and sports

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UK Sport has for the first time introduced pregnancy guidance for Olympic and Paralympic athletes and sport governing bodies.

The guidance includes advice for both pregnancy and continues once the athlete has given birth. UK Sport said “starting a family and being an elite athlete should not be mutually exclusive.” Five-time Olympic archer Naomi Folkard who gave birth in early 2021 before competing at this years Tokyo Olympics said “Female athletes should no longer have to make a choice between their athletic career and having children. I hope in a short time it will encourage sports science to not only begin to cover women and men equally, but also have pregnancy specific research projects for female athletes.”

The FA has appointed Navin Singh as its new commercial director.

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Singh joins English football’s governing body after five years with the prestigious United States Golf Association. As chief commercial officer, he led the USGA’s global commercial strategy for its assets including the major men’s and women’s U.S. Open championships.

World Players: IOC's call with Peng Shuai exacerbates alarm, special delegation needed

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In the wake of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai's call with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, the World Players Association has released the following statement:

The World Players Association repeats its call for the urgent establishment of a special delegation of international organizations and human rights experts to meet with Peng Shuai in order to ensure and obtain the necessary guarantees for her rights, health and safety.

An open letter by Joel Bouzou, Oly

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I write to address the misunderstandings caused by an inaccurate and wayward attack on our International Federation in recent days. 

Discussions around the future composition of Modern Pentathlon and especially the Riding discipline have stirred emotions since UIPM announced the 5th Discipline consultation process on November 4. This is nothing new. There were question marks around Riding when I competed in the 1980s and early 1990s (even the IOC President, Juan Antonio Samaranch, suggested after the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 that horses should be replaced by bicycles). 

World Players Association statement on Peng Shuai

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The global player association movement is deeply concerned for the health and safety of Peng Shuai. Players who speak out are frequently targeted and left exposed to harm and abuse without protection or support, and that must end.

Statement by Steve Simon, WTA Chairman & CEO on recent video posted by China state-run media of Peng Shuai

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Statement by Steve Simon, WTA Chairman & CEO on the recent video posted by China state-run media of Peng Shuai:

“I am glad to see the videos released by China state-run media that appear to show Peng Shuai at a restaurant in Beijing.  While it is positive to see her, it remains unclear if she is free and able to make decisions and take actions on her own, without coercion or external interference.  This video alone is insufficient.  As I have stated from the beginning, I remain concerned about Peng Shuai’s health and safety and that the allegation of sexual assault is being censored and swept under the rug.  I have been clear about what needs to happen and our relationship with China is at a crossroads.”

Shaheen guilty of breaching ICC Code of Conduct

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Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has been fined 15 per cent of his match fees for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the second T20I against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Saturday

Play Safe, a new national safeguarding campaign has been launched

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This weekend sees the launch of Play Safe – an ongoing national FA-led campaign to ensure everyone understands how to play their part in safeguarding children throughout football.

Play Safe is being run in partnership with the NSPCC and has the full backing of the Premier League, EFL, Barclays FA Women’s Super League and the FA Women’s Championship. It’s also supported and being run across every other level of the game.

IWGA entrusts ITA with the independent anti-doping program for The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama

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The International Testing Agency (ITA) is set to manage yet another independent and expert-led anti-doping program for a major event, after completing its missions for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020 and the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in 2022. The International World Games Association (IWGA) has entered a collaboration with the ITA for its next major event, The World Games 2022, to be held in July in Birmingham, Alabama (USA).

Sports Minister says independent regulator in cricket is a possible option

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Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston has said that an independent regulator may be created for cricket following the ongoing racism scandal.

Following Azeem Rafiq’s testimony at a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee where he detailed the racism that he suffered throughout his cricketing career Huddleston said he found it “alarming” and “harrowing”.

FIBA Intercontinental Cup to break new ground with 2022 edition taking place in Egypt

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 The next edition of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup is set to mark a landmark in the history of the competition which started 56 years ago, as it will be held in February 2022 in Cairo, Egypt, taking place in an African country for the first time.

The event is poised to further enhance its unique transatlantic status by also becoming the first club competition in basketball history to feature contenders that will be representing four different regional leagues.

WADA extends analytical testing restriction imposed on the Bucharest Laboratory

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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has extended the analytical testing restriction (ATR) imposed on the Romanian Doping Control Laboratory in Bucharest (Bucharest Laboratory). The ATR, related to the Gas Chromatography / Combustion / Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) analytical method, was originally imposed in 1 May 2021 for a period of up to six months.

Russian Federation suspension extended by World Athletics Congress

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Following presentations from RusAF Acting President Irina Privalova and Chair of the Russia Taskforce, Rune Anderson, the World Athletics Congress has today approved the World Athletics Council’s recommendation that the Russian Federation continues to be suspended while the Council oversees completion of the Russian reinstatement plan.

Andersen presented the Taskforce’s latest report before the Congress vote. All other documents and decisions will be published at the conclusion of the Congress tomorrow.

 

First edition of ECA legal journal is now available for download

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Last year, the ECA’s General Counsel decided to have a rethink at what sort of legal services ECA should be delivering to its members. The latest stage of that process is the introduction of the ECA Legal Journal.

The first issue is available to read now and, going forwards, will be published on a bi-annual basis.

As ECA CEO Charlie Marshall explains in his introduction to this new publication, “Many of you will remember the ECA Legal Bulletin, our annual publication designed to provide you with useful and practical information regarding football law matters.

World Rugby and International Rugby Players launch global brain health education campaign

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  • New Brain Health Initiative reflects commitment to educate and support current and former elite players who might be concerned about their wellbeing and brain health 
  • Global initiative includes new videos featuring leading independent experts outlining 12 modifiable risk factors for dementia and how rugby can play a positive role in reducing many of these 
  • Campaign launched at World Rugby Medical Commission Conference as part of World Rugby’s ongoing engagement with member unions, local healthcare authorities and brain health experts to advance player welfare across the rugby family 

Derby County Football Club has received a nine-point sporting sanction with a further three points suspended after admitting to breaches of the League’s Profitability and Sustainability rules

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The EFL has today confirmed that Derby County Football Club has received a nine-point sporting sanction with a further three points suspended after admitting to breaches of the League’s Profitability and Sustainability (P&S) rules.

This matter has been determined under the terms of an ‘Agreed Decision’ reached between the League and the Club and was formally ratified by an Independent Disciplinary Commission Chair as per the requirements of EFL Regulations.

The ‘Agreed Decision’ is available here [https://www.efl.com/-more/governance/judgments-and-decisions/]

Sport Integrity Australia: weightlifter receives sanction

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Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges the decision of the Australian Weightlifting Federation to sanction athlete Nathan Mortensen for the presence of prohibited substances and their metabolites and the use and possession of prohibited substances.

Mr Mortensen returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) from an out-of-competition doping control test on 10 September 2020.