Jakarta, December 27th, 2022
The year of 2022 will end immediately, and we all come to the new year of 2023 by wishing for better circumstances. For IADO, the year of 2022 has left a special note which should be shared to all national sports stakeholders in Indonesia and public. It also shares certain notes which should be anticipated to enter the year 2023. The related notes are as follows:
- IADO indicated the end of 2022 by organizing 2 important activities, which were conducted almost at the same time. Those were a RM Seminar (Result Management) held by RM Committee on December 23rd, 2022, and Workshop and Evaluation to Sample Collection Personnel (SCP) held by Directorate of Testing on December 21st to 23rd, 2022. RM Seminar was attended by lots of representatives of National Federations. The activity was very important, because it enabled National Federations to know well on how legal proceeding in court to any athlete could work if any related-athlete would have been already suspected to use a prohibited substance on the basis of the analysis of a WADA – accredited anti-doping laboratory. Generally, most of the representatives of the National Federation did not yet know properly that an athlete has a right to be protected and or defended and even to appeal against an RM decision. On the other side, the workshop and evaluation to SCP were followed by 31 personnel, consisting of 27 DCOs (Doping Control Officer) and 4 BCOs (Blood Control Officer). The purpose of the activity was to evaluate them and to recommend to them that they should do next year, 2023. At the end, they were requested to sign a contractual agreement, regulating their rights and obligations as well as certain attitudes which are strictly prohibited to do, because they are the front line of IADO.
- Throughout year of 2022 IADO assisted by those DCOs and BCOs have completed 293 samples (urine and blood), which were successfully collected from athletes on the basis of ICT (In Competition Testing) and then those samples were delivered to the WADA – accredited anti-doping laboratory. In addition, IADO has also completed 258 samples of urine and blood (92%) from the total of 276 samples on the basis of OOCT (Out of Competition Testing) and then those samples were delivered to the WADA – accredited anti-doping laboratory. As an information, ICT is a sample collection to any athlete who is taking part for instance on national championship or international event organized in Indonesia. Meanwhile, OOCT is a sample collection to any athlete who is not taking part for instance on national championship or international event organized in Indonesia, or they are following training activity or staying at home. Those targeted ones are elite athletes included in RTP (Registered Testing Pool), possessed by IADO which used to be connected directly to WADA.
- 2022 was a very complicated year for IADO. At the beginning, it was colored by the sanction circumstances to LADI by WADA from October 7th, 2021 to February 2nd, 2022 and by the amounting fundamental problems. When LADI was suspended, the organization did not have totally the following infrastructures such as Deed Notary, Articles of Circumstances, Bylaws, legal license from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, LADI / IADO Anti-Doping Rule, Standard Operating Procedures, and proper budget. Another problem was a violation of the Code relating to high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Youth and Sports as well as sports organizations occupying positions in LADI / IADO. Furthermore, the situation of the office was not representative. Gradually, the Chairman of IADO dr. Musthofa Fauzi and his team tried to reform it. However, on May 13th, 2022 the Chairmanship of IADO changed, in which the new management has strong commitment to accelerate an organization reformation. Most of the anti-doping regulation documents (including the World Anti-Doping Code, Law of No. 11 of 2022 on Sports, IADO Anti-Doping Rules, Education Materials, few of International Standard regulations, Regulation of IADO Chairman on Organization and Work Mechanism, Articles of Association, and Bylaws) are now available on 2 languages: English and Indonesian. The most important thing is that from July 2022 all of contents on IADO website have been presented in both languages. Such new view has never been before, and it has enabled both internally in Indonesia and WADA as well as SEARADO (South East Asia Regional Anti-Doping Organization) and other NADO’s to monitor IADO’s activities any time online.
- On every regional and global forum, WADA used to strongly encourage their signatories over the world to emphasize education activity to back up testing. In line with such recommendation, IADO has conducted a crash program from August to November 2022 by organizing series of anti-doping education in 15 provinces (the rest will be conducted next year) across the country. The activities were implemented in cooperation with KONI (National Sports Committee of Indonesia) to have targeted those consisting of elite and junior athletes, coaches, medical teams and management of National Federations from various provinces. In addition, on the basis of the vast territory of Indonesia and the more increasing demand of anti-doping education activities, IADO is in the progress to review its education module and system in order that the program will be implemented better and will be supported by ADeL (Anti-Doping Education and eLearning platform).
- IADO fully recognizes that its performance is not yet good compared to other NADO’s in Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore which have performed better. However, all of IADO’s personnel have the commitment to enhance their performance as fast and good as possible. One of the reformed indications has been done through creating better, intensive communication with WADA, SEARADO and other NADOs. It is now prohibited for IADO to cancel / delay any response to requirement or question raised by WADA or SEARADO. IADO has been sometimes reminded by WADA or SEARADO relating to any decision of IADO or even any news in Indonesia which violate to the World Anti-Doping Code. Generally, IADO has tried to respond quickly by providing clarification and or apology, even though most of mistakes did not come from IADO. On the other hand, WADA and SEARADO have been very cooperative to provide any guidance.
- The above-mentioned data of ICT and OOCT on 2022 has shown that IADO collected 548 samples though its Sample Collection Personnel, fortunately there is no indication of any athlete using doping except waiting for the rest samples collected on an event in the middle of December 2022 (approximately 10 samples) which are now being analyzed by the WADA – accredited anti-doping laboratory in Bangkok. It is true that on October 2022 IADO released 2 announcements on the website relating on the sanctions to 6 athletes (5 athletes from the 2021 National Sports Games in Papua and 1 athlete from the 2021 National Paralympic Games in Papua too), however those announcements came from doping control conducted at the end of 2021 in Papua. The very limited number of doping users in Indonesia however is not the only guarantee that anti-doping compliance in Indonesia is satisfied, because the main indicator from WADA to asses and evaluate every NADO and other Signatories is mostly based on each Good Corporate Governance complying to World Anti-Doping Code.
- One of the main activities of IADO which has never been conducted since the establishment of LADI in 2006 was the organization of the 2022 National Anti-Doping Seminar on November 30th, 2022. The Great Seminar was attended by 300 guests which was officially opened by the Minister of Youth and Sports Zainudin Amali. It was also very special, for the representative WADA (Mr. Saravana Perumal as the Manager of Asia Oceania Office of WADA) and Director General of SEARADO Mr. Gobinathan Nair were directly present. The seminar was also indicated by the signings of MoU between IADO with 2 Sports Committees (National Sports Committee of Indonesia and NPC of Indonesia) and 6 National Federations: PSSI (Association of Indonesian Football), PASI (Indonesian Athletics Association), FPTI (Indonesian Sport Climbing Federation), PBWI (Indonesia Wushu Federation), PERBASI (Indonesian Basketball Association) and PABSI (Indonesia Weightlifting Federation). As an information, previously on July 5th, 2022 MoU with KONI was signed (the further signing with KONI on November 30th, 2022 was only an implementation agreement). In addition, IADO signed the MoU with NOC of Indonesia on November 18th, 2022. The purpose of the seminar was to accelerate the national awareness and understanding of the essence of anti-doping frame work. Another information which should be known is that Indonesian Rugby Union Federation signed the MoU with IADO on December 21st, 2022. Totally IADO has successfully engaged 7 National Federations on their MoU plus with KONI, NOC and NPC.
- As in general as humans, an athlete also has a potency to have illnesses or conditions that require them to take particular medications or to use particular methods of treatment. If the medication an athlete is required to take to treat an illness or condition is included on the WADA Prohibited List, a TUE gives that athlete the authorization to take the needed medicine so long as the athlete fulfills all the mandatory criteria to do so. Even though TUE Regulation has been applied since few years ago by WADA, there have been in fact lots of athletes, coaches and even medical persons among National Federations who are not familiar enough to regulation and knowledge of TUE and in particular how to fill its form. It was the reason for TUE Committee as an independent committee (so is RM Committee) throughout year of 2022 to organize 2 successively seminars, attended by approximately 80 doctors responsible on National Federations to update their knowledges of TUE and other regulations of International Standards for TUE.
- Another activity indicating its change in 2022 is when IADO has created a new directorate of the Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation. This directorate aims to monitor sport activity, obtain information, assess, proceed and analyze any conduct and or issue relating to the potency of prohibited substance use from various sources to be detected and prevented. In addition, other duties are to accompany and monitor any event such as it occurred on the 2022 FIBA Asian Cup in Senayan Jakarta, to provide information on any education or seminar activities on topic of intelligence and investigation. It is also used to control the surrounding area of DCS (Doping Control Station) during sample collection to any athlete who has difficulty to determine Time Slot Whereabout. This directorate is also responsible for supporting the Directorate of Testing in case there is any athlete to have rejected to be collected his or her sample. One of the current activities to be prepared by this directory is to set up a channel of Speak Up as one of the reliable programs of IADO. IADO is fully aware that there is lots of homework to develop and reform in this new directorate. It forces this directorate to be better and to update soft wares and workflows from other NADOs for better implementation on intelligence and investigation of anti-doping.
- Though this press release, IADO has an opportunity to provide explanation why the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and IADO have not yet shown their eagerness or fixed plan to establish an anti-doping laboratory. It is obviously true to establish it. However, on the basis of very tight requirements regulated on the International Standard for Laboratories, so that such a plan is not a priority in the short coming years. For example, Article 4.1.3 on Provision of Letter of Support states among others: ……Such letter(s) of support shall indicate a commitment to provide the Laboratory with a minimum of 3,000 Samples per year by the end of the second calendar year after obtaining WADA accreditation…..As comparative data, IADO collected 548 samples only on 2022, so there should be additional samples until 2,452 which are impossible mostly obtained from any surrounding countries, because there are already few of the WADA – accredited anti-doping laboratories which not far from Indonesia such as in Bangkok, Sydney, Tokyo, Seoul and Doha. Sanctions imposed by WADA on March 2009 to laboratories in Ankara and then Penang provide a good lesson that there should be very comprehensive studies and very intensive consultation with WADA prior to plan to establish any anti-doping laboratory in Indonesia.
- Actually, the most important factors to support a better performance of IADO in 2022 are related to the full commitment from the Minister of Youth and Sports Zainudin Amali and his high-ranking officials to back up IADO without any interference. On the contrary, IADO has the pleasure to respond the Minister’s support by showing IADO’s all-out performance, since whenever IADO makes mistake, it will impact negatively to lots of big events prepared by the Minister on 2023 such as FIFA U-20 World Cup, FIBA World Cup and ANOC World Beach Games. Other events which will also be important to be highlighted by IADO are overseas multi events of SEA Games of 2023 and ASEAN Para Games of 2023 in Cambodia as well as Asian Games of 2023 and Asian Para Games of 2023 in China and also few international single events organized in Indonesia.
Jakarta, December 27th, 2022
Chairman of IADO
Gatot S. Dewa Broto