Zsófia Keresztes
Thesis Title: Investigating the current state of anti-doping education in English karate.
In 2021, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) released its International Standards for Education (ISE). The aim of this document was to outline the expected standards for ant-idoping education programmes (ADEPs) delivered by National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) and International Federations (IFs). According to the ISE, ADEPs should cover 4 key topics: values-based education, awareness raising, information provision, and anti-doping education. However, globally, evidence-based ADEPs are few and of mixed quality, often only incorporating information provision. This is despite the ISE clearly stating that comprehensive anti-doping education is crucial, stating, “an Athlete’s first experience with anti-doping should be through Education rather than Doping Control.” Similarly, few studies so far have evaluated ADEPs within the organisations primarily responsible for providing athletes with AD education. Martial arts offer a potent avenue for such research, as performance-enhancing substances have a natural appeal in combat-based sports, where strength and agility are equally important. Karate specifically offers a unique perspective, as one of the most popular martial arts in the world. According to the WADA’s 2020 Anti-Doping Testing Figures, karate had a below-average Adverse Analytical Finding rate (0.3%) across all non-Olympic IOC-recognised sports (0.86%). Therefore, examining how AD education and the ISE is implemented in karate may inform IFs and NGBs and provide crucial feedback and recommendations to WADA. The proposed project therefore aims to provide a mixed-methods examination of anti-doping education in English karate.
Biography
Sophie started her higher education at University College London (UCL), where she graduated with a BSc in Psychology in 2021. Following her undergraduate studies, Sophie then pursued an MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Loughborough University, graduating in 2023. Throughout her studies, Sophie has always been interested in researching the "dark side" of sports; her undergraduate dissertation studied perceptions of pain and injuries in amateur runners, while her Master's thesis examined gender-based discrimination in sports coaches and its effects on coaching behaviour and wellbeing. Sophie has been a karate practitioner for 15 years, having trained under various high-ranking coaches in and around Hungary and the United Kingdom. She is also a qualified referee in the English Karate Federation and as such a regular attendee at regional and national-level competitions, either as an athlete, coach, or referee. Her interest in anti-doping was initially piqued by the stated-sponsored doping scandal of Russia in 2016, and the consequent documentary 'Icarus.' Her research interests are thus informed by personal experiences and expertise in the sport of karate, as well as a passion for clean and fair sport and a dedication for Olympic values in competition.
Sport and Exercise Science
Birmingham
2023 Cohort, +3.5
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zs%C3%B3fia-k-049709130/
Supervisory Team
Prof Ian Boardley
Dr Shushu Chen
Memberships
British Psychological Society