On April 14, 2023, CHINADA together with worldwide athletes, athlete support personnel, sports participants, sports organizations and anti-doping organizations celebrated Play True Day, the campaign which is initiated by WADA for Clean Sport.

With the theme of “One Play True Team”, 2023 Play True Day aims to raise participants’ awareness of collaboration and teamwork for Clean Sport. The World Anti-Doping Code mentioned that, “The purposes of the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Program which supports it are: ‘To protect the athletes’ fundamental right to participate in doping-free sport and thus promote health, fairness and equality for athletes worldwide; To ensure harmonized, coordinated and effective anti-doping programs at the international and national level with regard to the prevention of doping.’” Collaboration and teamwork are especially important to create a level playing field and protect Clean Sport around the world. Witold Bańka, President of WADA, has mentioned the significance of joint efforts in the 2nd CHINADA International Anti-Doping Symposium and many other conferences. At the macro level, the world anti-doping efforts need the cooperation of all countries and regions, institutions and organizations, and the concerted efforts of all domestic organizational systems; at the micro level, each participant in an anti-doping organization needs to cooperate with others to do a good job in anti-doping and contribute to a doping-free environment.

In China, Play True Day is organized and initiated by CHINADA, with the participation of athletes, athlete support personnel, sports practitioners and sports fans. This year, participants were encouraged to use the visual designs provided by CHINADA (Localized according to WADA’s design) to create their own “Play True Day” photos and videos, or carry out anti-doping education outreach programs. 

The campaign has attracted many athletes and athlete support personnel from national federations of GASC (General Administration of Sport of China), administrative units of athletes from provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government. A total of 7 national federations of GASC, 15 national teams and many administrative units of athletes from 17 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government actively organized Play True Day. Participants showed their support by posting related pictures and slogans at Sina Weibo (a popular Chinese social media like Twitter) and WeChat (one of China’s most popular instant messaging apps); illustrating the importance of collaboration and teamwork for Clean Sport by recording videos; instilling the concept of Clean Sport by anti-doping education outreach program.

Play True Day in China had a variety of forms and reached a number of groups. At the level of national federations and national teams, athletes and support personnel combined Clean Sport with winning glory for the country, they promised to win not only medals in the arena, but also the “moral, noble and clean medals”. At the provincial and municipal level, the Play True Day campaign has been spread to sports schools. Many young athletes participated in the campaign and appeared in the photos and videos, expressing their firm determination to “Say No to Doping”, so that the concept of Clean Sport can take root and sprout in their hearts.

Play True Day is a campaign that is traditionally dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of Clean Sport among athletes, the public and others. It stems from a WADA-hosted Education Conference in 2013, which was attended by 17 South American countries. Since 2014, WADA has invited athletes, National and Regional Anti-Doping Organizations, Sports Federations, Governments, Major Event Organizers and all other anti-doping stakeholders worldwide to join the Agency’s digital campaign to celebrate. In 2021, the digital campaign reached over 87 million people around the globe.