THE inaugural meeting of MIDAS (Management of Intelligence and Drugs Action in Sports), took place at the Irish Turf Club offices in Co Kildare last Thursday.

The symposium was attended by senior level executives from Horse Sport Ireland, Irish Greyhound Board, Irish Turf Club and the investigations division of the Department of Agriculture and aims to move towards a unified approach in the regulation of doping and medication control for horse and greyhound sports.

MIDAS aims to work in conjunction with the drugs enforcement authorities in Ireland and the opening meeting facilitated discussions on how effective management of intelligence, combined with investigatory activities, can help improve tools and develop new strategies to combat the use of drugs in animal sports.

The sports bodies involved agreed that regular contact with the Department’s investigation division and other enforcement agencies, is hugely advantageous for doping enforcement across a wide range of areas.

MIDAS will continue to meet regularly, extending the agenda to other areas in the future, including recent developments on importation of illegal drugs and medication control, identification of potential new doping substances, strengthening communication and data sharing in the field and development of new tools and strategies to fight against doping in sports.