British Handball (BHA) is pleased to announce its completion of the Assurance Framework, which National Governing Bodies (NGBs) must fulfil to certify to UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) that they are meeting their anti-doping responsibilities.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published the updated 2021 UK National Anti-Doping Policy (Policy) in April 2021, which all NGBs must be compliant with. This was the first update of the Policy since its implementation in 2009.
UKAD, which is responsible for ensuring that sports bodies comply with the World Anti-Doping Code through its implementation and management of the Policy, introduced the Assurance Framework for NGBs to be able to evidence their compliance with the Policy.
The introduction of the Assurance Framework is the most significant change in the Policy. It outlines a series of mandatory requirements which all NGBs must fulfil. These requirements include the creation of an education strategy and plan, the implementation of anti-doping rules and increased involvement of an NGB’s Board with clean sport.
Upon completion of the Assurance Framework BHA Chair Paul Bray said: “We are pleased to have achieved compliance with the UK National Anti-Doping Policy. It is critically important that everyone can compete within a clean sport environment and we will now work hard to ensure that we continue to meet the standards laid out in the UKAD Assurance Framework.”
UKAD’s Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Nisha Dutt, said: “I’d like to congratulate British Handball for completing the UKAD Assurance Framework, which demonstrates a commitment to clean sport. The British Handball Association can now fully show that it is meeting its anti-doping responsibilities.”
For more information on the Policy and Assurance Framework, visit the UKAD website.
