Delegation At The Inter Regional African Ministerial Meeting on Anti-Doping in Sports
By Ramatoulie Jawo
The Ministry of Youth and Sports of The Gambia, in collaboration with UNESCO and the Anti-Doping Secretariat, hosted the Inter-Regional African Ministerial Meeting on Anti-Doping in Sports at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center in Bijilo. Held under the theme “Enhancing Africa’s Sports Cooperation and Upholding Sports Values, Ethics, and Integrity,” the event aimed to reinforce ethical standards in African sports.
The meeting convened sports ministers, experts, members of the COP9 Bureau, and representatives from regional and international organizations across Africa. It served as a platform to discuss strategies to combat doping in sports, promote fair play, and strengthen anti-doping policies across the continent.
The meeting, presided over by the Vice President of The Gambia, Muhammed BS Jallow, aimed to strengthen ethical standards and foster collaboration among key stakeholders in the sports sector across the African continent. It also focused on discussing strategies to combat drug use in sports, ensuring fair play, and reinforcing anti-doping policies in the region.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Bakary Y. Badjie, described the meeting as a unique opportunity to address the challenges facing sports, including the issue of performance-enhancing drugs.
He emphasized that the strategies and actions agreed upon during the discussions would lay a solid foundation for improving sports governance at both the continental and national levels.
“This is a menace not just on the African continent but all over the world. It is a global phenomenon that has hindered the development of sports and the advancement of athletes who, on an occasional basis, go into using drugs as a way of enhancing their strength,” he said.
Hon. Badjie emphasized that achieving their shared vision and common goal of strengthening sports governance relies significantly on taking decisive action against doping.
He underscored that this initiative represents a significant investment in the future of sports in Africa, uniting top officials and industry leaders to enhance sports governance through collaboration.
“The outcome of today’s procedures meeting will consolidate our collective gains, promote continental unity and collaboration in sports, and most importantly, reinforce the commitment we all share as ministers and our citizens that work in the area of doping and general protection of the integrity of sports,” he said.
Speaking at the event, Vice President of The Gambia, Muhammed B.S. Jallow, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting the anti-doping secretariat and other agencies in the fight against doping within the sports sector.
He highlighted the launch of a national anti-doping platform in 2022, aimed at raising awareness and promoting compliance with anti-doping regulations.
“Looking ahead, we have a national sports bill that contains a section on doping among other issues, and once enacted, this legal framework will reinforce the 2023–2033 African Union policy framework for sustainable development in sports in Africa, which enjoins African countries to promote and prioritize clean sports,” he stated.
Vice President Jallow reiterated that, as a signatory to the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sports, The Gambia is deeply committed to addressing the issue of doping in sports.
He stressed the importance of equipping young people with adequate knowledge and resilience skills to steer clear of banned substances. He further noted that these critical skills and knowledge should also be cultivated among decision-makers, practitioners, and enforcement agencies to ensure they are effectively focused on raising awareness, sharing information, and strictly adhering to the rules that promote fair and healthy competition.
“I hope the outcome of this ministerial meeting will be a call for more robust educational programs that target young athletes in our various countries as well as the identification of retired African athletes to serve as anti-doping ambassadors; these ambassadors can share the message further and engage those youths outside your reach,” he said.
During her virtual remarks, UNESCO’s assistant director general for social and human sciences, Gabriela Ramos, highlighted the importance of engaging young people who are into sports to keep away from harmful substances and to invest in educating them.
Speaking in French, the chairperson of UNESCO’s international convention against doping in sports, Matra Ba, highlighted the importance of sports in unifying people.
He said African youth need to be empowered in sports in order to avoid using doping so that they can promote fair play and integrity.
The resident representative of ECOWAS to the Gambia, Miatta Lilly French, calls for a renewed dedication to ethical sports governance.
She stressed the need for high levels of investment in sports and sports integrity initiatives to ensure African’s vision of becoming a model of values, ethics and sport integrity.
“By strengthening sports governance, we can build institutions that safeguard the values of sport, demonstrate commitment to protect athletes rights, and ensure equitable access to opportunities. We can also foster public confidence to attract greater investment and use sports as a tool for social cohesion and economic growth,” she said.
In her keynote address, Minata Samaté Cessouma, the African Union’s Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development, urged African nations to seize opportunities boldly and collaborate through intergovernmental platforms to secure similar prospects in the future.
She highlighted the need for greater partnership with organizations like UNESCO to promote clean sports and uphold integrity.
The stakeholders emphasized that doping undermines athletes’ health, tarnished reputations, and erodes the fairness of sports. They underscored the importance of collective action across African nations to advocate for stringent anti-doping regulations, ensuring sports remain clean and equitable for all.