Charles Nyende
8 July 2005
Nairobi — A regional anti-doping organisation will be set up in Kenya, an official of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced yesterday.
"The regional structure will co-ordinate out-of-competition doping tests and sensitise athletes on the need for a drug free sports," WADA Africa regional office director Rodney Swigelaar said. "WADA will fund the project and begin it over the next two years. But the organisation is expected to be self-sustaining."
Swigelaar was speaking during a two-day Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Zone Five anti-doping development meeting in Nairobi.
Kenya, Egypt, Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan and Ethiopia, out of the 10 zone members, attended the meeting. The others are Somalia, Eritrea, Rwanda and Ethiopia.
He said WADA would send experts to Kenya to train personnel in carrying out work in compliance with the world anti-doping code.
The WADA deputy director for standards and harmonisation, Rob Koehler, said there was a need for governments and the Olympic body to work hand in hand in the fight against doping.
"This region needs to come up with one organisation to help in having drug-free athletes. Kenya will form the structure and it will be led by ANOCA."
International Association of Athletic Federations, which has been one of the world sporting bodies at the fore front in the fight against doping, was represented by their legal counsel Huw Roberts.
Success in anti-doping requires collaboration at all levels," he said.
Swigelaar ruled out the possibility of setting up a laboratory in Kenya saying the regional body would carry out mainly administrative work.
WADA's regional office in Africa is based in Cape Town, South Africa. Other regional offices are in Lausanne to serve Europe, Tokyo to serve Asia and Oceania and the recently-established one in Montevideo, Uruguay to serve Latin America.
WADA was established on November 10, 1999 in Lausanne to promote and coordinate the internationally fight against doping in sport.
It was set up as a foundation under the initiative of the IOC with the support and participation of intergovernmental organizations, governments, public authorities and other public and private bodies fighting against doping in sport.
The agency consists of equal representatives from the Olympic Movement and public authorities.
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