Through its training and certification programs, the ITA Academy plays an essential role in protecting athletes and supporting their right to fair competition. By ensuring that doping control officers, blood collection officers, chaperones, educators, and other clean sport professionals are thoroughly trained and up to date with international standards and best practice, the ITA Academy helps build an environment where athletes can trust the processes that govern clean sport. Well-prepared anti-doping personnel are crucial to delivering testing, education and other clean sport activities that are reliable, respectful, and consistent across borders.
More than 3,300 professionals from 157 countries and 95 anti-doping and academic organizations have already completed ITA Academy programs. This highlights that these training programs are already widely embedded as a cornerstone of workforce development in the anti-doping field. Delivered in both live and virtual formats, the ITA Academy supports National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs), Regional Anti-Doping Organizations (RADOs), International Federations (IFs), Major Event Organizers (MEOs), and individual professionals with a continuously growing training portfolio.
“The ITA Academy is a service to the global anti-doping community, offering harmonious education and training designed to strengthen clean sport globally, as well as certification to build and uphold trust in the implementation of anti-doping programs,” said Benjamin Cohen, ITA Director General. “By recognising completion of our programs under the ITA Academy, we aim to provide even greater recognition to the achievements of our graduates and practical opportunities for them at the many sporting events under ITA’s supervision. Our training programs now cover training for all core professional roles when it comes to on-the-ground delivery of anti-doping programs, providing a trusted framework of training that can be adopted by all anti-doping organisations.”
The ITA Academy currently offers a range of training opportunities to individuals and organizations, including:
- The International Doping Control Officer (IDCO) Training Program
- The International Blood Collection Officer (IBCO) Training Program
- The Doping Control Officer (DCO) Foundation Training Program
- The Anti-Doping in Sport Foundation Course (ADSF)
- The International Clean Sport Educator Program (ICSE)
- The International Chaperone Training Program (ICT)
In addition to its core training focus, the ITA Academy also supports and coordinates collaborative research projects with the ITA, particularly in areas relevant to the implementation of anti-doping programs. As part of the Academy’s launch, Berlinger is honored to renew and expand its longstanding partnership with the ITA. As the Official Partner of the ITA Academy, we are proud to contribute to the advancement of structured, high-quality, and accessible training – a mission that reflects our own commitment to secure, transparent, and reliable doping control processes worldwide.
In the words of Andrea Berlinger, Chairwoman of the Board at Berlinger Special AG, "Continuous education and training of anti-doping professionals are essential for building and maintaining trust in clean sport. As a dedicated partner of the global anti-doping community, Berlinger is proud to stand alongside the ITA Academy as its Official Partner in fulfilling this mission. We are devoted not only through our technologically advanced and tamper-evident security solutions such as the BEREG-Kit, but also through our active contribution to practical and harmonised training efforts. Only when anti-doping personnel worldwide adhere to the same high professional standards can athletes have full confidence that doping control procedures are both secure and fair"
“We are very grateful for Berlinger’s ongoing support and investment in the ITA Academy” expressed Benjamin Cohen, ITA Director General. “Their commitment helps ensure that the ITA Academy can continue to grow and provide structured, high-quality training for the global anti-doping workforce at affordable costs, in particular in countries where anti-doping resources are scarce.”
The ITA Academy is open to all organizations and individuals dedicated to the protection of clean sport. For further details on programs, certification, or research collaboration, please visit www.ita.sport/ita-academy
