Every year on Play True Day, the global aquatics community reaffirms the fundamental principle of clean sport as a choice made daily, by athletes, coaches, officials and everyone who prioritises the integrity of competition. On 17 April 2026, World Aquatics proudly joins the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and anti-doping partners across the world in celebrating Play True Day 2026, united under the theme “Play True. It Starts with You.”
What is Play True Day?
Play True Day was born from the 2013 WADA Education Conference, with the first official celebration taking place in 2014. What began as a focused initiative to unite the sporting world around a shared commitment to integrity has grown into one of the most visible and widely supported moments in the global anti-doping calendar.
This year's theme builds on that energy. "Play True. It Starts with You" is a call to personal accountability, and a reminder that the integrity of sport can be protected in the everyday choices of the athlete, coaches and officials.
World Aquatics and the Aquatics Integrity Unit
World Aquatics' commitment to clean and fair sport is acted on every day by the Aquatics Integrity Unit (AQIU), the independent body established in 2023 to handle all integrity-related matters across aquatic sports. The AQIU operates across a broad remit: anti-doping, ethical breaches, harassment and abuse, result manipulation and betting-related issues. Its independence ensures that decisions are made free from conflict of interest and with the sole aim of protecting athletes and the sport.
In 2025, the AQIU demonstrated the depth of that commitment across several fronts.
At the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, the AQIU hosted a landmark Anti-Doping Conference that drew over 200 participants from across the global aquatics family. World Aquatics Executive Director Brent Nowicki opened the event by emphasising that the AQIU exists so that every athlete, official, stakeholder and fan can be confident that aquatics is governed by fairness and accountability. The conference, also attended by WADA President Witold Bańka, served as a focal point for education, dialogue and renewed commitment to clean competition at the sport's highest level.
A Robust and Transparent Testing Programme
Underpinning all of this is an extensive testing programme. In 2025, the International Testing Agency (ITA) - implementing the World Aquatics anti-doping programme - collected 5,345 samples from 1,786 athletes, with 4,073 of those samples taken out of competition. The programme incorporated advanced methodologies including Dried Blood Spot testing, blood steroidal analysis and endocrine profiling, placing the World Aquatics programme at the forefront of scientific development in anti-doping.
At the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025, more than 600 tests were conducted, and for the first time a live performance profiling tool was deployed in real time, generating science-based risk scores to guide targeted testing decisions. The AQIU and ITA also invited media behind the scenes of the doping control process, walking journalists through sample collection in a move designed to build public understanding and trust.
Athletes Speak
For Play True Day 2026, the AQIU asked athletes from across the aquatics family what it truly means to play true. Their responses are a powerful reminder that the values at the heart of this campaign are prevalent across aquatics athletes.
"I play true because real champions win with integrity and respect for the sport." - Sharon Van Rouwendaal
"I play fair because I believe that living naturally and with integrity has the power to create the best environment to flourish." - Isaac Cooper
"I play true because the hardest battles should be won with honesty, not shortcuts." - Alexia Sotomayor
"I play true, because I want to give the right example for the next generation." - Ranomi Kromowidjojo
"I play true because I want what I do to be real; for myself, for all the fans, for future generations." - Catalin Preda
"I play true because I believe that in the end, true spirit will tip the balance in your favour." - Rita Keszthelyi
"I play true because true success is earned through hard work, not shortcuts." - Moritz Wesemann
"I play true because integrity defines who we are when no one is watching." - Jacqueline Simoneau
These voices - and the daily choices behind them - are what Play True Day is all about. World Aquatics invites everyone in the aquatics community to join us in pledging support for clean sport today, and every day.