It is essential that we speak regularly with anti-doping public authorities to exchange on their policies and aid where and when needed. This was revealed by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) director general, Olivier Niggli.
Speaking during a WADA virtual productive meeting, Niggli said that, ‘no matter the size or number of athletes, every country is important in the global anti-doping system.’
“As we have committed to do as part of WADA’s 2020-2024 strategic plan, it is key that we engage and collaborate with all of our stakeholders to ensure that we are delivering on our mission for doping-free sport,” Niggli noted.
His sentiments were shared by WADA president, Witold Bańka. “It is vital that WADA leadership meets with sports ministers and other government representatives from different regions of the world to hear their perspectives and discuss how to further strengthen the national and international legal frameworks. This allows us to collaborate more effectively with them to safeguard the integrity of the anti-doping systems in each country,” Bańka explained.
According to the WADA committee, the observation is that the meetings have been very productive and much appreciated, based on positive feedback received from many of the public authority representatives who participated.
On his part Africa Zone VI Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO) representative, Andrew Kamanga said, “It is important that men and women of integrity are appointed to serve as medical support personnel to national teams. Athlete Support Personnel plays a critical role in working towards and achieving compliance with the WADA code. Athletes should continue saying no to doping in sport, it is the world’s Code.”
The highlight discussions during meeting included; presenting WADA’s current areas of development and innovation, such as athlete engagement and scientific research, providing a progress report on the implementation of WADA’s wide-ranging, explaining WADA’s strategy towards enhancing its funding model, and encouraging further active cooperation between governments and stakeholders to ensure that the anti-doping community is collaborating effectively towards the same goal.
