The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Anti-Doping

  • WADA faults Nigeria anti-doping agency

    WADA faults Nigeria anti-doping agency

    Nigeria has been listed among the three nations allegedly non-compliant with the code of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2022.

    According to insidethegames, at the meeting of WADA’s Executive Committee (ExCo) and Foundation Board (Board) in Montreal (Canada) between 16 and 17 November, the ExCo followed the recommendations from the CRC that alleged three National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) and one Major Event Organization (MEO) as non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and added two other NADOs to the ‘watch list’.

    The three NADOs alleged as non-compliant with the code are: Venezuela, Nigeria and Tunisia.

    According to WADA, the Venezuelan NADO has not addressed a number of critical requirements to its anti-doping program following the Code Compliance Questionnaire exercise, while the Nigerian NADO has not addressed several critical requirements following an audit carried out by WADA in late 2022.

    The Tunisian NADO has an outstanding critical corrective action relating to its national legal system not being in line with the 2021 Code.

    Read Also: Sports minister fast-tracks National Anti-Doping Commission Establishment Bill

    The ExCo also alleged as non-compliant with the Code an MEO, namely the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), for failure to implement a previous decision by the ExCo.

    As a consequence of the decision to allege the NADO of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as non-compliant in October 2021, the DPRK flag could not be flown at major events, including the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

    All MEOs, including the OCA, were informed of the decision and of their obligations to implement this consequence at their events. It became clear during the Asian Games that the OCA did not take steps to comply with the terms of the DPRK’s non-compliance and that the DPRK flag was repeatedly flown during the entire event, including at opening, closing and medal ceremonies and within competition and non-competition venues.

  • Sports minister fast-tracks National Anti-Doping Commission Establishment Bill

    Sports minister fast-tracks National Anti-Doping Commission Establishment Bill

    To bolster the fight against doping, the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh has declared an unwavering commitment to expedite the submission of the National Anti-Doping Commission Establishment Bill to the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly for ratification in the coming weeks.

    He made the statement during a recent media chat in Abuja, while emphasizing the paramount importance of legislation to the National Anti-Doping Committee, identifying it as a crucial step towards overcoming the challenges it faces in achieving its objectives.

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    “Our hope is that in the next couple of weeks, we will be able to get the bill ready,” the Minister said. “We will go through the necessary processes, leading up to introducing it to the National Assembly, as an Executive Bill. We will get it across to the Federal Ministry of Justice, to the Federal Executive Committee (FEC), and all the approvals that will lead to that.

    At the start of his tenure as minister, Enoh held meetings with the anti-doping committee, where they discussed various ways to strengthen their activities, while ensuring the committee is fit-for-purpose.

    “Having a legislation that sets up the National Anti-Doping Commission in the country is going to be one of the clearest and strongest actions that this Ministry would have taken to tackle doping,” he added. The minister further elaborated that strengthening the committee will be done by expanding its professional and technical expertise, with a strong focus on educating athletes on the importance of fair and clean competition.

    Senator Enoh underscored the significance of this legislation, declaring, “Establishing the National Anti-Doping Commission in Nigeria will mark a decisive and impactful step by our ministry to combat doping. Beyond that, it is about reinforcing and providing support to the existing National Anti-Doping Committee.”