WADA reaches out at All Africa Games
MAPUTO,September 4,2011 – The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will have a significant presence at the All African Games in Maputo, Mozambique as it looks to spread the anti-doping message to the finest athletes from across the region, and sports fans in Africa.
WADA will have Outreach, Independent Observer (IO) and Africa Regional Office teams at the multi-sport event which runs from September 3-18, where it will use it expertise to reach out to the 5,000 sportsmen and sportswomen.
It will also take the opportunity to highlight the developments made by the Regional Anti-Doping Organizations (RADOs) in Africa, which are assisted by WADA's Regional Office in Cape Town, South Africa.
Under the guidance of WADA Regional Director for Africa, Rodney Swigelaar, the African RADOs have made significant progress in the last few years.
There are six RADOs in Africa and together they coordinate the anti-doping activities in 45 countries. A key part of their role has been assisting with the creation of National Anti-Doping Agencies (NADOs) within the continent and then advising on particular programs for these countries.
The RADOs have also played an important role in helping 13 countries secure funding for 18 anti-doping projects in Africa in the last couple of years thanks to the support of the UNESCO Fund for the Elimination of Doping in Sport.
A team of anti-doping officers from across Africa will join WADA's Outreach Senior Manager at the Outreach booth located in the athlete's village for the duration of the Games.
The WADA Senior Manager, a veteran of several Olympic, Paralympic and Pan American Games, will lead the team during a two-week exercise designed to educate athletes, coaches and sports officials to the dangers of doping.
WADA's Outreach is a tried and tested program developed for major multi-sport events over the last decade, and allows a direct and friendly approach to athletes and their entourages.
Joining the WADA team will be Portugal's marathon legend Rosa Mota. The former Olympic, World and European champion will lend her experience and knowledge to the program, and WADA is confident the respect Mota attracts will help the team make an impression on a greater number of athletes.
WADA will coordinate a three-strong Independent Observer Team in Maputo, who will carry out an interactive mission that will help to build on the one employed at the All Africa Games in Algiers in 2007.
With the full support of the Organizing Committee for the All Africa Games (COJA), the IO team will attend all the relevant meetings and make a daily report to COJA.
The IO team will also produce a written report to be submitted to COJA following completion of the Games.
In addition to WADA's efforts to reach out to athletes, WADA's Director Regional Office Rodney Swigelaar will be aiming to spread the anti-doping message to African sports fans through the media.
As well as the pre-Games press conference on September 2 at the National Stadium Zimpeto, WADA has commissioned a local television crew to produce news clips of the Agency's activities at the Games.
(Source: AIPS)
