Luanda — Angola has once again been recognized as a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), in accordance with the statutes of the organization based in Montreal (Canada).

According to the Portuguese media outlet Lusa in its online edition on Wednesday, this follows the recent approval of the anti-doping law by the National Assembly of Angola.

As a result, the Angolan Olympic Committee (COA) approved the changes on June 19, after the legislation adopted on June 7 came into force in the country.

On February 28, the National Assembly unanimously approved the anti-doping law in sport, 11 days after WADA suspended Angola due to its failure to meet the deadlines to adapt the legislation.

The new Angolan law, which allowed the country to once again be eligible to organize and take part in international competitions, such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games, adapted the national legal regime to the international convention against doping and the world anti-doping code.

At the time, WADA gave the COA four months to amend the law, which only happened on February 28, after the world authority had suspended the Angolan body on February 17.

The main aim of this extremely important piece of legislation is to combat the use of banned substances by athletes in sports competitions, in accordance with the rules laid down in the World Anti-Doping Code.

By carrying out anti-doping tests and punishing athletes who are identified as using banned substances, the integrity and ethics of sporting competitions will be guaranteed, as well as protecting the health of athletes.

Despite being notified by WADA, Angola was never sanctioned and remained a member for the duration of the process of adapting national law to the regulations of this international organization.

During this time, Angola participated normally in international competitions and even organized the African Swimming and Tennis Championships in Luanda. MC/DAN/AMP