Intelligence and investigations (I&I) in anti-doping came into focus as the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organization (RADO) and Sportradar conducted a two-part educational webinar series on the topic. The virtual sessions held on January 21st and February 11th 2023 highlighted ‘The Value of Intelligence in Anti-Doping’ as well as ‘Effective Tools for I&I in Anti-Doping’.
More than 15 countries were represented with Caribbean RADO members being joined by participants from other regional National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) for the engaging sessions. The topics tackled included the benefits of intelligence, approaches to the collection and analysis of information through the intelligence cycle, and case management; while practical tools and techniques such as Open Source Intelligence (OSIT), Data Analysis, and Human Intelligence (HUMINT) were also explored.
Education and capacity building towards sustainability are among the key areas of focus for the Caribbean RADO. As a result, Executive Director Dr. Sasha Sutherland said it was important to coordinate the series, given the crucial role I&I plays in the fight against doping in sport.
“Intelligence and investigations are the bedrock of strategic, effective, and impactful education and testing programmes. It is important for our region to ensure our clean-sport frameworks are up-to-date and comprehensive so that our successes internationally are valid,” said Dr. Sutherland.
“Focusing on I&I ensures that the playing field remains level; that our personnel are trained in the latest technologies; and that all athletes, especially those we represent in the Caribbean feel safe, protected and free to exercise their fundamental right to participate in clean sport,” she added.
Sportradar is an international organization specializing in integrity issues in sport. Niall Murphy, Senior Intelligence and Investigation Manager was pleased to facilitate the series.
“Both sessions were incredibly valuable, with attendees engaged throughout, asking insightful questions, and being able to provide an understanding of the unique application and challenges of intelligence and investigations in the Caribbean. What was evident from these sessions was the region’s passion for clean sport and its commitment to enhancing its capabilities and knowledge across all areas,” he said.
“Ultimately, testing is only ever as good as the intelligence behind it, knowing when, where and who to test. An intelligence-led approach to all aspects of anti-doping can make the process more efficient and effective, and consequently help to deter and identify those trying to cheat the sport and deny clean athletes their success,” he added.
Collaboration on this webinar series highlights the newly established partnership between Caribbean RADO and Sportradar, following the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. The MOU has established a mutual framework for cooperation between the two organizations including the provisions of expertise in the fight against doping as well as the sharing of knowledge and information.
About Sportradar:
Sportradar is the world’s leading sports technology company, at the intersection between sports, media and betting. Sportradar Integrity Services assists over 150 partners including international federations, leagues, clubs and law enforcement agencies to protect sports from integrity threats such as match-fixing, doping and corruption. Integrity Services is the go-to authority on betting-related match-fixing, powered by the Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS), leading anti-match-fixing, fraud prevention, and social media integrity education through our Education and Prevention (E&P) solutions, as well as a global team of intelligence analysts and investigators who make up our Intelligence & Investigation (I&I) team. Built on technology, data and investigative expertise, I&I offers a range of solutions tailored to the fight against doping to support its partners identify and mitigate risks, make intelligence-led decisions, and investigate anti-doping rule violations.
