Dalung promises drug-free sports in Nigeria, as ministry plans seminar for federation officials

The Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has promised to deliver a sports sector that is free of doping.

Tolu Makinde, the Director of Press in the ministry, said in a statement that the ministry would hold a seminar for Presidents and Secretaries of Sports Federations in Nigeria.

“This will be in collaboration with the National Anti-Doping Committee (NADC),’’ he quoted the Minister as saying in the statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

Dalung was quoted as saying the seminar was an integral part of the ministry’s efforts to evolve a sustainable and pragmatic anti-doping regime capable of achieving drug-free sports for Nigeria.

He said also that the seminar would raise the federations’ level of awareness and prepare them for meeting the challenges of anti-doping roles and responsibilities.

The minister said the seminar was to promote clean sports in Nigeria and ensure a sports sector that was free from drug scandals.

The statement showed that Dalung would be the Special Guest of Honour and he was expected to declare open the seminar tagged “Anti-Doping Seminar for Presidents and Secretaries of Sports Federations.”

“The event which is billed to hold in Abuja from Dec. 5 to Dec. 6 is aimed at equipping Federation Presidents and Secretaries with relevant information and anti-doping regulations, especially compliance with relevant articles of the world regulatory body.

“The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has prescribed primary goals and guidelines, and information and education programmes for drug-free sports.

“The seminar is the first anti-doping information-education and specialised orientation activity to be organised for Presidents and Secretaries of Federations.

“It has the objective of inculcating strong anti-doping culture in the participants.

“It will also promote the virtue of fair play with a view to positively help in influencing attitudes and behaviours of athletes,’’ the statement read.

It added that the seminar would cover areas like History of Doping, Health Consequences of Doping, Athletes Whereabouts and Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).

Other areas are: Anti-Doping Roles and Responsibilities, Doping Control Process and Testing, Anti-Doping Rules Violations and Results Management and Sources and Control Mechanisms on Illicit Drugs.