BWF CONFIRMS PARTNERSHIP WITH INTERNATIONAL TESTING AGENCY

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has partnered with the International Testing Agency (ITA) to delegate management of all Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) in badminton to ITA’s specialised unit.

This means that the ITA is now fully responsible for the TUE application process for all international-level athletes that fall under the BWF’s jurisdiction.

Therapeutic Use Exemptions

Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) constitute one of the core processes of an anti-doping programme.

Athletes who suffer from an acute or chronic disease or need a specific kind of therapy for their injuries might need to be treated with a substance that is on the Prohibited List.

In that case, they must apply for a TUE to seek permission to use a Prohibited Substance for their medical condition and to have in place a justification if they test positive for said substance in a doping control.

Once an athlete submits a TUE request containing medical information provided by their physician, an expert body must thoroughly check for the need of such an exemption before it approves or denies it in order to prevent abuse.

ITA’s specialised TUE department, with the help of its TUE Expert Group, will ensure that badminton’s TUE applications, reviewal processes and approvals happen independently from the BWF and in line with the World Anti-Doping Code and the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions.

BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer said: "This is a positive step forward for us in our endeavour to keep badminton clean.

"It is great to have the leadership and expertise of the ITA to manage all processes related to Therapeutic Use Exemptions.

"This new partnership will bolster the already robust set of testing measures we have in place to protect our sport."

Benjamin Cohen, ITA Director General, added: "We are very pleased that the Badminton World Federation has chosen to manage their TUEs by the ITA as an independent expert body.

"The delegation means that BWF can rest assured their TUE process is handled professionally, that badminton athletes will receive a fair and unbiased review of their TUE submissions, and that the federation can focus even more on the core aspects of its work."

The new partnership will run for an initial term until the end of 2021.

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