UK Anti-Doping received 185 whistleblower reports of suspected doping in 2025, with football, athletics, boxing and cricket among the most heavily tested sports as new data shows messaging apps are becoming a key source of intelligence
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) received 185 whistleblower reports of suspected doping in 2025 – and a growing share of them came through WhatsApp and SMS, signalling a shift in how athletes and insiders are choosing to expose cheating.
The Protect Your Sport initiative, launched in late 2020, allows individuals to report suspicions anonymously.
According to data published on January 14, while the online form remained the most-used route last year, generating 92 reports, WhatsApp and SMS together accounted for 55 submissions, making them the second most popular method, ahead of email (27) and the telephone hotline (11).
The rise of encrypted, real‑time messaging appears to be reshaping the way intelligence reaches investigators. Introduced only in 2024, the WhatsApp and SMS channels allow UKAD staff to ask follow‑up questions instantly while still protecting the whistleblower’s identity. UKAD says it cannot see the sender’s name or number.
Mario Theophanous, Head of Intelligence and Investigations at UKAD, said the continued volume of reports shows growing trust in the system. “Seeing yet another year of consistently high reports coming in has been positive, it shows that individuals feel safe coming to us and that they want to protect the integrity of their sport,” she said.
The Protect Your Sport programme has seen a steady rise in engagement since its launch: 75 reports in 2021, 110 in 2022, 184 in 2023 and 211 in 2024. While 2025 saw a slight dip, the overall trend remains upward, with messaging apps rapidly becoming a preferred route for whistleblowers.
“Introducing WhatsApp and SMS has been incredibly valuable,” Theophanous said. “It’s rapidly becoming one of our most used platforms for reporting doping suspicions and allows us to ask additional questions if required, all whilst maintaining the person’s anonymity.”
The intelligence gathered through these channels is already feeding into enforcement. Fifteen individuals were sanctioned in the UK last year for Anti‑Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs), with two cases triggered directly by Protect Your Sport reports. Whistleblower information also helps UKAD target its testing programme across more than 50 sports and intervene early in potential doping activity.
UKAD plans to expand its reporting tools further in 2026, aiming to reduce barriers and encourage more people to come forward. As messaging apps continue to dominate communication in everyday life, they may now be emerging as one of the most effective tools in the fight against doping.
Testing data reveals where UKAD is focusing
Fresh figures from UK Anti-Doping’s Q1 Testing Report for 2025 show the scale and spread of testing activity across UK sport, offering context for the whistleblowing trends seen in the Protect Your Sport data.
Between April and June 2025, UKAD conducted 1,994 tests, with 1,665 carried out on behalf of UK national governing bodies and a further 329 conducted under international or other anti‑doping authorities. Football, athletics, boxing and cricket saw the highest volumes of testing, reflecting both participation levels and the sports’ historical risk profiles.
Football alone accounted for 398 tests under the FA, while athletics saw 188, boxing 112, and cricket 136. Rugby codes also featured prominently, with Rugby League recording 169 tests and Rugby Union across its three home nations totalling 298.
The report also confirmed eight Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) during the quarter. An AAF indicates the presence of a prohibited substance or method in a sample, though not all AAFs ultimately result in sanctions – for example, when a Therapeutic Use Exemption applies or when further investigation is required.
In the same period, UKAD recorded five Whereabouts Failures, which occur when athletes in registered testing pools fail to provide accurate location information or miss scheduled tests.
Four Anti‑Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) were finalised in Q1, spanning professional boxing, cricket, football and rugby league. Sanctions ranged from a reprimand to bans of up to four years, depending on the substance involved and the circumstances of each case.
