Beijing, China, June 1, 2026: The Olympic Council of Asia reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of Asian sport during the 2026 WADA Asia/Oceania Ministerial Intergovernmental Meeting held in Beijing.
The OCA’s Anti-Doping Department delivered a comprehensive presentation titled “OCA Commitment to Clean Sport,” led by Ms. Nadia Al Shamali. The session highlighted the continent’s collective mission to safeguard athlete health and ensure fair competition.
Asia is home to the world’s largest sporting nations, including China, India and Japan. The OCA’s anti-doping strategy rests on three pillars: education, prevention and testing — all fully aligned with the WADA Code and International Standards.
The OCA confirmed its full status as a WADA signatory, implementing the 2021 OCA Anti-Doping Rules (ADRs) governing testing, results management, and Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) during OCA events. The principle of strict liability remains in force: athletes are responsible for any substance found in their sample, regardless of intent.
A key theme of the presentation was the OCA’s partnership framework “United for Clean Sport” which establishes a robust system to protect clean athletes and ensure transparency. The framework relies heavily on collaboration with governments, as outlined in the UNESCO Convention and WADA Code Articles 22 (2021 & 2027).
The upcoming 2027 WADA Code places greater emphasis on investigations, intelligence, athlete rights, education effectiveness, and government collaboration. Governments play a critical supporting role in making the anti-doping system functional.
The OCA also detailed strict delegation eligibility and compliance checks. Any athlete or support staff currently under suspension will not receive accreditation, entry, or funding for upcoming Asian Games. National Olympic Committees are responsible for enforcing automatic disqualification of medals following anti-doping rule violations.
A major highlight is the OCA’s roadmap for major games in 2025–2026, including the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The OCA’s testing program aims to unify the Asian ecosystem with precision testing and independent arbitration.
The OCA introduced its IDCO Exchange Program, which strengthens doping control operations by providing qualified International Doping Control Officers (IDCOs). The program ensures language diversity, cultural representation, and balanced participation from all Asian regions. For the 2026 Asian Games, 12 DCOs have been selected.
In a pioneering move, the OCA is the first Anti-Doping Organization (ADO) to make pre-games education a mandatory condition for participation approval. Athletes must complete the ADEL certificate (International-Level Athletes or TAME for youth), or a national program mutually recognized by the OCA. Coaches are strongly recommended to submit the High-Performance Coach (HPC) certificate.
The OCA education program has shown remarkable results: at the Asian Winter Games, 81% of athletes submitted their certificates; at the Asian Youth Games, 97% compliance was achieved; and at the Asian Beach Games, the rate reached 97.24%.
Social media campaigns and event-based programs such as the “OCA Guarding Asian Games Program” and Clean Sport Ambassadors (CSAs) are already active. Six CSAs will lead efforts at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, following successful rollouts at the 2025 Bahrain Asian Youth Games and Sanya Asian Beach Games.
Key reminders for upcoming 2026 OCA events include medication checks via the WADA Prohibited List and Global DRO, TUE submissions directly to the ITA, and whereabouts/rooming information submitted through the ITA Rooming Application. Non-compliance may result in penalties under Article 23.1.
The deadline for pre-games education certificate submission is 1 July 2026. All athletes and coaches must comply for participation approval. Medical professionals are strongly encouraged to complete the relevant course in ADEL.
Finally, any adverse analytical findings (AAFs) and provisional suspensions must be reported immediately. For more information, visit the OCA website’s anti-doping section or email Antidoping@oca.asia
On behalf of the OCA, Ms. Nadia Al Shamali thanked all delegates, NOCs, and NADOs for their continued partnership and dedication to protecting clean sport across Asia and Oceania.