Issue date
An initiative called Speak Out has been launched encouraging anyone to make a confidential report to Drug Free Sport NZ if they see or hear something related to doping in sport.
The programme was launched this week in partnership with Cycling New Zealand who have worked to counter problems in the sport. But it's a programme that applies to all sports and Drug Free Sport NZ chief executive Nick Paterson said they want to hear from athletes, parents, coaches, managers, doctors, administrators and sponsors if they had information to pass on.
“We’ve partnered with Cycling New Zealand to launch Speak Out because of the great work that they do in promoting clean sport,” Paterson said. “With a number of Kiwi riders racing overseas, Cycling New Zealand have worked hard to give their riders the tools that they need so that when they are in different environments, such as professional teams, their athletes have the skills and confidence to make the right decisions."
Paterson said that the easy availability of prohibited substances, especially online, has meant that the anti-doping environment has changed. “Our ability to detect doping has expanded beyond our testing programme, and investigations and intelligence are an increasingly important part of our work.”
“We believe that most Kiwi athletes are clean. Most of us also want to play and watch sport that is untainted by doping. We’ve seen what a huge challenge this can be in international sport, and it’s thanks to the courage and strong ethics shown by those people who have spoken out, to expose doping in their sport, that anti-doping agencies have been able to take cases forward.
“We feel confident that Kiwis don’t tolerate athletes taking shortcuts. We want to hear from athletes, parents, coaches, managers, doctors, administrators, sponsors – basically anyone who has information to help us keep sport clean. Even if your concern may seem small, we want to hear from you. Anyone can call us on 0800 DRUGFREE, email intel@drugfreesport.org.nz or contact us through our Speak Out page."
