Amid concerns over the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport, the African Union Sports Council (AUSC)on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Zone VI Regional Anti-Doping Organization (RADO) to prevent any aspect of doping among athletes in the region.
Speaking after the signing ceremony held at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, AUSC Regional 5 Advisory Chairperson Isaac Katopola said the MoU aims at harnessing the power of sport to fight the vices that have riddled athletic sport, key among them being the fight against doping in sport.
Katopola expressed AUSC’s commitment in providing a clean sporting environment for athletes, to allow them excel without the use of any performance enhanced substance.
“As a Region, we are determined to provide a clean sporting environment for our athletes to allow them to excel without these of performance enhancement substances. Issues of doping and other unethical conduct in sport have become a global concern that warrants smart partnerships between Sports Governing Bodies. It is at a time like this that we as Region 5 deemed it prudent and appropriate to enter into a formal Memorandum of Understanding with RADO as the torch-Bearers and custodians of sport in this Region,” he said.
RADO President Dr. Nicholas Munyonga said the signing of the MoU will help provide an oversight role of activities carried out by AUSC Region 5, including the ongoing Regional 5 Youth Games being hosted in Lilongwe.
“So we will be able to have an oversight for the activities of African Union Sports Council Region 5 and they will have an oversight role on what we do so for example you find that when they organise games of this nature the African Union Sports Council Region 5 are games that we then come in to say we are coming to assist to make sure that we conduct education on the athletes to conduct testing on the athletes. So, because there are obligations that have been documented and highlighted in the MOU, everyone then is obligated to make sure they play their part. We are excited about as far as this MOU is concerned,” said Munyonga
Meanwhile, Munyonga has commended what he has termed visionary and transformational approach as well as the leadership that has been adopted by the AUSC Region 5 in its comprehensive approach to sport development in the region, which he says will without doubt, see multiple benefits in the medium to long term.
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