Sport Integrity

Safeguarding is about creating a safe, fair and inclusive environment for everyone involved in sport, especially athletes who are children or young people, that is free from abuse, discrimination or harassment. Safeguarding is focused on changing the culture of sport, stopping poor behaviour and providing avenues for people to raise and report their concerns.

Ensuring athlete and staff education on safeguarding is crucial. The QAS provides education resources and may require completion of Sport Integrity Australia’s safeguarding online courses. These courses offer comprehensive education on safeguarding practices and are easily accessible.

Visit the Sport Integrity Australia website for further information on the safeguarding education they offer.

The QAS Anti-Doping Policy aligns with international standards set by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and is enforced to maintain fair competition. Sport Integrity Australia collaborates with the WADA, to strengthen anti-doping practices globally. Athletes are encouraged to stay informed about anti-doping requirements and can access educational resources through Sport Integrity Australia’s e-learning hub or via the Sport Integrity Australia app.

Anti-Doping resources:

• World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) – WADA’s primary role is to develop and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries.
• World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) – is the ‘policy’ that guides the World Anti-Doping Program in ensuring athletes can participate in fair and doping-free sport.
• Global DRO Check your substances – provides athletes and support personnel with information about the prohibited status of medications based on the current WADA Prohibited List.
• Sport Integrity Australia – is Australia’s anti-doping organisation responsible for applying the WADA Code in Australia.

Competition manipulation is any deliberate attempt to improperly influence the outcome or course of a sporting event for a benefit. This benefit may be financial, sporting or personal. Competition manipulation threatens the fairness of sport and can damage trust in athletes, competitions and sporting organisations.

Competition manipulation occurs when someone tries to remove the natural uncertainty of a sporting contest to gain an advantage for themselves or someone else.

Examples of competition manipulation include:

• fixing the result or outcome of a competition.
• deliberately underperforming or not competing to the best of your ability.
• influencing another person to alter their performance.
• interfering with the playing surface, equipment or competition conditions.
• using or sharing inside information for betting purposes.
• placing a bet based on inside information.

Athletes, coaches, staff and officials all play an important role in protecting the integrity of sport by recognising and reporting suspected competition manipulation.

This policy helps sports address the threat of drug misuse and is separate from the World Anti-Doping Code and the National Anti-Doping (NAD) scheme.

The policy aims to:

• ensure qualified personnel provide science and medicine services to athletes.
• ensure injections are administered to athletes only as part of proper medical treatment.
• ensure medications are used lawfully and appropriately.
• establish a best practice approach for the use of supplements, focusing on safety and evidence-based use, since supplements may contain substances on the Prohibited List.
• address and deter the unlawful distribution and use of illegal drugs in sports.
• reduce the harm caused by illegal drugs to athletes and the community.