We also welcome the Federal Government’s moves to further investigate and fight current threats to the integrity of professional sport in Australia, including the use of prohibited substances and match-fixing.
 
We will cooperate with these investigations however necessary.
 
There is no room for drugs in sport. At the end of the day, it’s cheating – and every single code should take a zero tolerance approach to it.
 
Basketball Australia has a proud record, a strong culture and strict policies when it comes to anti-doping, the use of prohibited substances, bans on players and staff betting on basketball, anti-corruption and integrity within the game.
 
Both our national teams and our professional leagues are subject to regular and random drug-testing by ASADA. We’re proud to say that the use of performance enhancing drugs has never been a part of the Australian basketball culture; ASADA records dating back to 1997 show that there have been no instances of performance enhancing drug use.
 
We’re determined to keep it that way – which is why BA continues to deliver a successful Illicit Drugs in Sport Education program across the country, providing drug education to the NBL, WNBL, our national teams and athletes over the age of 15 enrolled in National Intensive Training programs.
 
Our annual IDiS program covers more than 1000 athletes and also reaches referees, staff and stakeholders.
 
In the 2012/13 season, we’ve incorporated social media education into that training. Further, BA’s drug education programs canvassed the harmful effects of Dimethymaline (DMA) before it was banned for use in supplements.
 
BA led the way in providing sports betting and integrity education to NBL and WNBL players during the 2011/12 season, and a further 400 athletes and staff will undergo sports integrity training by the end of this year.