AusLeisure

Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) Chief Executive Nick Paterson has said working in partnership with agencies around the world is “key to ridding sport of drug cheats”.

Paterson, who spoke while visiting Sport Integrity Australia last week, said he’s been questioned by New Zealand athletes for the country’s rigid testing regime.

He advised “I make no apologies for testing athletes repeatedly to show they are clean.

“That's just who we are as Kiwis. Our integrity is high. But I commit to them that we will continue to try to get other countries to lift their game to make sure they do their job better.

“The integrity is really critical to who we are and what we live for, that’s why we exist as an agency.”

Explaining the need to work together in the interests of athletes globally, Paterson noted “if we can get Australians athletes clean, and I think they are, then Kiwi athletes will benefit and vice versa.

“If we get Pacific athletes clean, if we can get Asian athletes, American athletes clean, all of our athletes benefit as a result,” he said.

With DFSNZ having grown from nine people six years ago to 25 today, Paterson advised that getting doping out of sport is done through prevention and deterrence and not through detection and prosecution, adding “in the last year we've educated in greater numbers than ever before and we've tested in greater numbers than ever before.

“I presume your Australian athletes are clean, so your job and our job is therefore to protect our athletes and support our athletes and give them sufficient information not to make mistakes, not to access doping, to remain true to our culture and our values.”

He said DFSNZ would become an integrity agency in 12 months’ time, covering child safety, athlete welfare, match manipulation and corruption and anti-doping, not only in sport but active recreation.

Paterson concluded “so, it's now our turn to really learn from what you guys have done and how you've done it. I want to have people coming over here to come to spend some time to learn from you guys first hand, to take the stuff that you've done really well, to see how much we can copy and replicate and put out there for New Zealand athletes.”

Image: DFSNZ’s Nick Paterson.

Related Articles

22nd June 2023 - WAIS provides update on implementation of Sport Integrity Australia report recommendations

17th April 2023 - Sport Integrity Australia agrees collaboration and service agreement with International Testing Agency

10th March 2023 - Athletics NZ under scrutiny from global anti-doping body over fall in drug testing

22nd December 2022 - Adelaide gym owner among eight arrested over drug running syndicate

16th November 2022 - Australian Sports Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Platform in Canada

24th May 2021 - New fitness brand arrives with name associated with international drug syndicates

8th December 2020 - Sport Integrity Australia and WADA to appeal reduction in Shayna Jack’s doping suspension

12th September 2020 - Death of former NSW Premier and WADA President John Fahey

9th September 2020 - Drug Free Sport New Zealand shares review recommendations on school rugby anti-doping programme

4th September 2020 - Drug Free Sport New Zealand calls for further change from WADA

5th August 2020 - New Zealand start-up InsituGen to supply sport industry with new drug testing technology

10th December 2019 - World Anti-Doping Agency bans Russia from Tokyo Olympics and 2022 FIFA World Cup

19th November 2019 - Drug Free Sport NZ holds successful first anti-doping conference

16th October 2019 - Melbourne media cast doubts over ASADA’s handling of Essendon doping scandal

30th July 2019 - ASADA says confidentiality vital to anti-doping process

23rd July 2019 - Mack Horton and Swimming Australia face official rebuke over ‘drug cheat’ protest

17th July 2018 - WADA and ICSS cooperate to strengthen intelligence and investigation capacities

10th February 2018 - New funding for South Australian sport clubs to tackle drugs menace

9th December 2017 - Drug Free Sport New Zealand starts proceedings against multiple athletes

25th August 2017 - Cycling champion Jack Bobridge charged with drug dealing

30th July 2017 - New Zealand to drug test high school rugby teams

6th July 2017 - Drug Free Sport New Zealand announces new Chief Executive

6th May 2017 - NRL rocked by latest drug scandals

14th December 2016 - New Zealand rugby’s new player deal to see testing for recreational drug use

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.