Under the Bahamas Anti-Doping Rules, a sanction is imposed once an anti-doping rule violation has been determined, either when an athlete admits to a violation and waives the right to a hearing, or by an independent arbitrator after a doping tribunal hearing.

Public Disclosure

Under the Bahamas Anti-Doping Rules, the BADC announces every anti-doping rule violation within 20 days of its determination.

Period of Ineligibility

The most common penalty for an anti-doping rule violation is a sanction imposing a period of ineligibility to participate in sport. This includes ineligibility for:

  • Participation in any role in organized sport, such as a competitor, coach, athlete support person or instructor.

  • Participation in any competition or activity authorized or organized by sport organizations who have adopted the Bahamas Anti-Doping Rules or their affiliates or members.

  • Participation in any level of sport: local, national, regional and even international if the activities and events are organized by sport organizations who have adopted the Bahamas Anti-Doping Rules, or their affiliates or members.

  • Participation in any sport, not only the sport engaged in by an athlete at the time of the violation, but every other competitive sport as well if that sport is governed and organized by sport organizations who have adopted the Bahamas Anti-Doping Rules, or their affiliates or members.

Other Potential Consequences

In addition to a period of ineligibility, there may be other consequences of committing an anti-doping rule violation. Such additional consequences can be determined by other parties with jurisdiction, the national sport organization, or a student-athlete’s academic institution. These may include:

  • Automatic disqualification of individual results, including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes;
  • Disqualification of results in the event during which a violation occurs;
  • Disqualification of results in competitions subsequent to the initial test sample;
  • Loss of privileges at a college or university;
  • Financial sanctions;
  • Public disclosure through a media release; and
  • Loss of government funding.