How Ukraine is transforming anti-doping education in women's football

• The All-Ukrainian Association of Professional Football Players (AUAPFP) has launched anti-doping seminars across the Ukrainian Women’s Premier League with support from Union to Union
• Delivered in partnership with the National Anti-Doping Centre of Ukraine, the programme educates players on their rights, medical procedures and anti-doping responsibilities
• The union says the initiative is already helping players move "from fear and misunderstanding to confidence in their rights"

War has not stopped Ukraine’s women’s footballers from competing. Nor has it stopped the people working to protect them.

In a country where professional sport continues against a backdrop of extraordinary hardship, the All-Ukrainian Association of Professional Football Players (AUAPFP) has launched what it describes as an unprecedented national anti-doping education programme. And one that is already reaching the heart of the Ukrainian Women’s Premier League.

"This is part of our broader strategy to promote workers’ rights, decent working conditions and democratic standards within sport," says AUAPFP Chief Legal Counsel Yuliia Hrechko, who was responsible for preparing the funding application for the project. 

Hrechko is also the Head of the Disciplinary Commission of the National Anti-Doping Center of Ukraine, whose specialists are directly involved in conducting educational sessions and seminars for women’s players as part of the project.

"Our goal is to ensure full awareness of anti-doping regulations among all professional players in the Ukrainian Women’s Premier League."

The programme is being delivered through on-site seminars at all ten Premier League clubs, each conducted in partnership with Ukraine’s National Anti-Doping Centre (NADC). Five clubs have already completed the first stage – Metalist 1925, Shakhtar Donetsk, Kolos Kovalivka, Panthery and EMS-Podillia – with the remaining five to follow.

The initiative is funded by Union to Union, the international arm of Sweden’s trade union movement. 

Building and instilling players’ confidence 

What sets the programme apart is its depth. Rather than offering a standard overview of prohibited substances, each seminar combines legal, medical and ethical education into a comprehensive training experience.

Sessions include simulated doping control procedures, allowing players to understand each stage of the process and the rights they are entitled to exercise.

"The main focus is on the ability to correctly enter remarks into the protocol, which is critical for legal defence in case of any procedural deviations," explains Roman Morozov, AUAPFP General Manager.

Another key area is risk prevention. Together with medical experts, players examine the latest World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List, with particular attention paid to supplements and sports pharmacology. The programme also gives players practical tools to verify substances and reduce the risk of accidental doping violations.

Education around Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) is another important element. Players and club doctors are trained on how to correctly document medical treatment to ensure legitimate healthcare needs do not prevent athletes from competing.

Ethics and psychology form the final pillar. Sessions aim to build a culture of zero tolerance, while also reducing the anxiety and confusion that often surrounds doping control.

Hrechko has observed a change in how players engage with the subject. "We’ve observed a shift in the players’ attitudes towards doping control," she notes, "moving from fear and misunderstanding to confidence in their rights."

Upon completing the programme, each player receives an official NADC certificate. It is a formal recognition that becomes part of their professional record and a signal that Ukrainian football is serious about clean sport.

Solidarity

The significance of this work, though, extends beyond the technical. That Ukraine is investing in the long-term professional development of its women’s players – in the middle of a war – speaks to something deeper than compliance.

"Cooperation with Union to Union allows us to scale this experience and demonstrate that, even in challenging times, the development of women’s sports in Ukraine remains our priority," says Morozov. "We are convinced that the preventive education system we have built will serve as a foundation for the long-term success of Ukrainian women’s players on the international stage." 

AUAPFP President Igor Gataullin concludes: "This work reflects our shared values with FIFPRO in protecting the health and careers of professional athletes."