The Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport (AIMS) announced a strategic partnership with the International Testing Agency (ITA) during its 2024 General Assembly held at the Olympic House. The collaboration aims to provide harmonized, code-compliant anti-doping solutions to AIMS’ member federations, ensuring a level playing field for athletes across diverse sports disciplines.
Presented by ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen, the partnership addresses key challenges faced by many AIMS federations, such as resource limitations and evolving regulatory requirements, by centralizing anti-doping operations under ITA’s expert management. This structure will ensure that all member federations maintain strict adherence to the World Anti-Doping Code, regardless of their unique circumstances or resources.
The ITA will centrally manage each federation’s anti-doping program to ensure consistency and compliance with WADA requirements, including athlete biological passports, therapeutic use exemptions, and testing pools. This partnership introduces a bulk-fee model based on WADA’s compliance tiers, allowing federations to share resources, reduce costs, and access services that are tailored to the specific doping risks of each sport. This cost-effective, risk-based approach makes world-class anti-doping solutions accessible across the AIMS community, ensuring fairness and credibility in every competition.
Federations will also have the flexibility to invest additional resources into specific areas of anti-doping as needed, with options for individual agreements with the ITA. To maintain transparency and accountability, the partnership includes the establishment of an AIMS Anti-Doping Commission, which will oversee the delivery of ITA’s services to all member federations.
AIMS President Stephan Fox commented on the significance of this partnership: “This collaboration with the ITA is a pivotal step in our mission to promote clean sport. Through this partnership, we are ensuring that all AIMS federations, regardless of their resources, have access to world-class anti-doping programs. The centralized approach allows us to uphold the highest standards of integrity and support athlete health and credibility in every sport. Clean sport is a cornerstone of fair competition, and I am proud of the commitment we are making here today”.
Benjamin Cohen, ITA Director General, added, “We are delighted to work alongside AIMS to bring high-quality, code-compliant anti-doping services to all member federations. By leveraging ITA’s expertise, AIMS federations can now access a comprehensive and cost-effective anti-doping program, reinforcing a unified commitment to fair play across sports”.
