Luanda — Angola will soon set up an 'absolutely independent' Anti-Doping Disciplinary Board (ADB), in order to comply with the standards required by international regulations.
The creation of this independent body is a requirement of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), as part of the Anti-Doping in Sport Bill approved Monday by Parliament's specialised committees.
The law, which had already been approved by the legislative body in March 2024, returned to the 'house of laws' because there was some misalignment between what was provided for in the legislation and what is required by international regulations.
This is a slight adjustment in the misalignments that can lead to international sanctions, including the exclusion of national athletes from international competitions and the loss of opportunities for sporting events of an international nature.
According to the justification, the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Board (ADC) must be guaranteed functional, administrative and financial autonomy, as well as being 'absolutely independent'.
The technical-judicial body will have the power to decide on disciplinary offences arising from anti-doping rule violations, either at first instance or on appeal.
According to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Rui Falcão, WADA demands that the proposal for the creation of the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Board should be the responsibility of the ministerial department that oversees sport.
He clarified that this is not a specific case for Angola, but a regulation that is the same for all the countries in the world that are part of the Olympic cycle.
'There is no exception and no desire on the part of the world organisation to interfere in the internal legal issues of countries, we, as members of that body, have to comply with them and that's what we've done,' he assured.
Rui Falcão also explained that any sanction applied by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Board (ADC) will not be interfered with by anyone, hence the term 'absolutely independent' demanded by WADA.
Angola has not been sanctioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency
The Minister of Youth and Sports clarified that Angola had not been sanctioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), but would have run that risk if it had not approved Law No. 1/24, 'even knowing that there could be some shortcomings.
He recalled that the only constraint that occurred in this whole process was at the African Games, when due to a lack of communication between WADA and the Organising Committee there was a possibility that Angola would not be able to hoist its symbols, and the issue was overcome within 48 hours.
Anti-Doping Laboratory
As part of the proposal, WADA demanded that all analyses and samples must be carried out by a laboratory accredited or approved by this international body, in accordance with the stipulations of the World Anti-Doping Code.
In this regard, he said that there is currently no WADA-certified laboratory in Africa.
He said that the country's pre-test and test samples currently have to be sent to Europe and Asia.
Sports Medicine Centre.
The head of the Youth and Sports portfolio expressed to the legislators the need to increase the level of internal organisation of the National Sports Medicine Centre.
'We cannot continue to see athletes sanctioned for the improper use of drugs,' he emphasised.
At the last African Judo Championships in which Angola took part, two athletes were caught in anti-doping controls.
The aim of amending the Sports Anti-Doping Law is to bring national legislation into line with the international standards applicable to the matter, especially the World Anti-Doping Code and the rules of the International Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
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The proposal aims to adjust to the national social, cultural and sporting reality, as well as harmonising it with the International Convention against Doping in Sport and the World Anti-Doping Code.
With the approval of the law, the Executive wants to continue to promote and conduct a cultural and moral education of citizens, the protection of the health of athletes, support staff and other sports agents, through the fight against the use of prohibited substances and methods or violation of anti-doping rules in sport.
The document, which will be put to a final vote in the next few days, contains, among other things, the prohibition of doping, the responsibilities of the practitioner, the list of prohibited substances and methods, control access during and outside of sporting competitions and the medical treatment of sportspeople.
