Important Information on the Fight Against Doping in Table Tennis

1. Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)

The current ITTF Anti Doping Rules (art. 5.4.4.1), as well as the World Anti Doping Code, permit players and their physicians to apply for Therapeutic Use Exemptions i.e. permission to use, for therapeutic purposes, substances or methods contained in the list of prohibited substances or methods whose use is otherwise prohibited.

In accordance with the ITTF Anti Doping Rules (art. 5.4.4.3),  a panel of experts (TUE Commission) has been appointed by the ITTF Executive Committee. The Laboratory used by the Commission is based in the Institute of Legal Medicine of the University of Lausanne.

Some substances included on the list of prohibited substances are used to treat medical conditions frequently encountered in the player population. In such cases, a full application is unnecessary. Accordingly an abbreviated process of the TUE is established. The prohibited substances or prohibited methods which may be permitted by this abbreviated process are strictly limited to the following : beta-2 agonists (formoterol, salbutamol, salmeterol and terbutaline) by inhalation, and glucocorticosteroïds by non-systemic routes (topical cream, eye drops, nasal spray, etc.)

Therefore, and from now on, all international players who need to apply for a TUE must directly send their requests forms to one of the following addresses : 

Standard Process:
ITTF either in Lausanne (Mr. Jordi SERRA) or in Tokyo (Ms. Etsuko ENAMI)

Abbreviated Process:
Dr. Jean-Francois KAHN
Laboratory of Physiology
91 Blvd de l'Hopital
75013 Paris, France
Tel / Fax : +33 1 40 77 97 62

In order to save time, I'd like to remind you that :

• The TUE request forms have to be filled in typing, if possible or written in block capitals.

• Any TUE request that is not complete or illegible will not be dealt with and will thus be returned to the player, who will need to submit it again.

• An international player can only submit one TUE request to one instance at a time. He is not allowed to submit a same TUE request to several instances. 

• A player should submit an application for a TUE no less than 21 days before participating in an event.

• Concerning the TUE process, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is an appeal or revision body and therefore cannot take any decision (approval or not) as a first step. In consequence, TUE requests have to be addressed to the ITTF TUEC and not to the WADA.

• This procedure should not in any case hinder or differ the implementation of a necessary medical treatment.

• For complete and detailed information about TUE and the forms you need to fill in, please visit the WADA website : www.wada-ama.org (Science and Medicine / Therapeutic Use Exemption). The forms (in French and in English) can also be found on the ITTF website : www.ittf.com  (Committees / Sports Science / Fight against doping).

2. ITTF Doping Hearing Panel

If a player is declared positive after a doping control conducted under the authority of ITTF or WADA, he will be heard by the ITTF Doping Hearing Panel recently appointed by the ITTF Executive Committee for a period of 4 years. This panel  comprises of individuals totally independent from the ITTF, and the Chairman is a lawyer (art. 5.8.1.1). 

Dr. Jean-François Kahn