of all checks State Agency Spanish Anti-Doping Commission in Sport (CELAD) In 2021, half concentrated on three sports: track and field, cycling and football. Meanwhile, in other disciplines like paddle tennis – 96,543 federatedThere were none by the agency, and ten or fewer attempts were each recorded in volleyball, kickboxing, wrestling, fencing, badminton, or sport climbing.

CELAD public corporation It is affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Sports, which carries out government policies anti-doping. The planning of controls in Spanish sports federations is always their responsibility according to the criteria set by the sports federations. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), It is an international reference body.

CELAD these tests national competitions and in routine checks, checks may be carried out by other organisations: International Federations in international championships, including those held in Spain; and the International Olympic Committees (IOC) at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Football, track and field and cycling account for half of doping controls in sport in 2021

Generally, federated athletes are tested to avoid the use of doping substances in competitions. However, in some disciplines the number of checks made by CELAD is much higher and in others it is completely absent.

They 2021 memory — latest available — more than half of these tests athletics, cycling and football. By the way, there are some sports that have received 10 or less doping controls from CELAD in the last year. This situation volleyball, kick boxwrestling, fencing, badminton or sport climbing.

Others, such as paddle tennis, have been left out of the scheduling of these tests, although there have been a number of sporting events over the past year. 96,543 combined licensesand 1,286 active sports clubs.

Why some yes and some not: Just 3,000 tests for over 3.6 million federal athletes

Spain has at least 64 sports federations and 3,628,188 athletes with federated licenses. 2021 data Supreme Sports Council (CSD).

this International Standard for Testing and Investigations Notes that when designating anti-doping controls, national agencies may prioritize some sports over others because of the risk of substance use, their national interest in maintaining the integrity of the discipline, or “the imperatives of national policy”.

They explain to the agency Newtral.es that resources are sometimes limited: “It’s like you have a limited number of speed cameras and you have to spread them on all roads in Spain”. They explain that in Spain it “makes a lot of sense” to have most of the testing done in the most relevant national sports. That doesn’t mean they can’t decide to control at any given moment in a sport that has hitherto been non-controlling.

As a reference shovel explain that this was considered in the final control deployment plan this discipline was not among those “high risk” doping.. “Also, there is another decisive circumstance and that is I predict the big globes will be covered and controlled in a professional special league called the World Padel Tour,” the sources consulted said.

The case of powerlifting: a discipline that goes to international competitions but is not recognized in Spain

Powerlifting, a sport consisting of weight lifting, has been excluded from CELAD’s doping control planning as it only has jurisdiction over federations. Spanish regulations state that only sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are structured this way.

This is not covered by the legislation of other countries, so yes, there are national and international federations outside of Spain. “We are in a state of uncertainty because we are not recognized by the IOC, but we belong to European and international federations and compete with other countries,” they tell Newtral.es. Spanish Powerlifting Association (AEP). Only in this association 1,595 members and 97 clubs in 2022.

This way, Spanish lifters can compete and win titles in the rest of the world. However, unlike other sports if you are not able to get a free anti-doping test, but they need to devote some of their budget to it. This hinders the international projection of Spanish powerlifters, as they themselves denounce.

This year, they signed an agreement for the first time. Canadian Center for Ethics in Sportsis the organization accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency and designated for these functions by the International Power Lifting Federation (IPF). Now It is responsible for carrying out checks that CELAD did not perform under payment by AEP..

Despite this, the association continues to demand changes in legislation to continue promoting this sport, which has gained popularity in Spain in recent years, and to become a federation. effective anti-doping program and free.