Gambia’s Vice President Muhammed B. S. Jallow has said being a party to the Anti-Doping Convention, The Gambia is most willing to support the work of the Anti-Doping Secretariat and other agencies, such as Africa Regional Anti-doping Organisations (RADO).
“Hosting this meeting is evidence of our stance on this matter,” he re-emphasised, in his remarks during the opening ceremony of the Inter-Regional African Ministerial Meeting on Anti-Doping in Sport held in Banjul yesterday.
“We subscribe to the values and ethics that underlie all sporting disciplines. As a result, we will continue to endeavour promoting and holding competitions that are free from illicit drugs or performance-enhancing substances that give athletes an unfair edge over their fellow competitors,” he promised.
Through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, he said, The Gambia launched a National Anti-Doping Platform in May 2022, which brought together various stakeholders to raise awareness on and promote compliance with the Anti-Doping Convention, WADA regulations, and testing procedures.
“Today, The Gambia is one of the African countries that remain compliant with the WADA codes,” he pointed out.
He informed the gathering that the government have a National Sports Bill that contains a section on Doping, among other issues. “The bill provides for legislation to duly give our national platform legitimacy and power to function effectively,” he stated.
However, he said, once enacted, the legal framework will reinforce the 2023-2033 African Union Policy Framework for Sustainable Development in Sport in Africa, which enjoins African countries to promote and prioritise clean sport.
VP Jallow urges the delegates and by extension all and sundry to share ideas, explore cooperation opportunities, and devise strategies and plans to minimise the incidence of doping and cheating in sport, among both amateur and professional athletes. “I entreat you to remember that young people need sufficient knowledge and resilient skills to avoid banned substances,” he added.
Such knowledge and skills can be acquired only if decision makers, practitioners, and enforcement agents skilfully focus on raising awareness, sharing knowledge and adhering strictly to the rules that govern healthy competition, the vice president edifies. He says the goal is preferably to have a continent where performance in sport is outstanding, excellence is earned fairly, and the integrity of athletes and officials is safely protected.
