GCC and Yemen Regional Anti-Doping meeting opens

The 16th meeting of the Board of Directors of GCC and Yemen Regional Anti-Doping Organisation began on Wednesday under the patronage of Sayyid Khalid bin Hamad al Busaidy, Chairman of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC).

The two-day meeting is being hosted by the OOC, represented by the Oman Anti-doping Committee, in cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

The meeting is chaired by Dr Sultan bin Yarub al Busaidi, Chairman of the GCC and Yemen Regional Anti-Doping Organisation, Chairman of the Oman Anti-Doping Committee.

Sayyid Khalid welcomed the delegates and said the OOC is keen to support international and regional efforts in the fight against doping and protect the integrity of sports and athletes.

“In this regard, we thank the GCC and Yemen Regional Anti-Doping Organisation headed by Dr Sultan bin Yarub al Busaidi and the rest of its members for their continued efforts,” he said. He also thanked Wada representatives for attending the meeting.

Dr Sultan al Busaidi said the meeting every two years comes as part of raising the culture in sports institutions and athletes in the world. “Our efforts are to fight doping which has often led to withdraw medals obtained by athletes during international championships.”

He added that the meeting is an opportunity to exchange experiences and views such as the pilot experience that was conveyed to the Sultanate of issuing a booklet that will be circulated in schools with a CD that enhances the students’ awareness of the dangers and the harmful effects of doping and to raise the efficiency of doping workers.

Al Busaidi said the GCC countries include world-class specialists in the field of anti-doping, which is reflected in their presence in the Olympic Games and major international forums. He pointed out the presence of a number of experts from the Wada to review the new developments in the region along with the representatives of the Regional Office for Asia from Japan.

During the meeting, a new president will be elected for the next two years and will be updated on the activities of Rado (Regional Anti-doping Organisation), as well as the tasks of the national anti-doping committees. Other agendas include the future of the anti-doping programme in the region, reviewing the draft anti-doping law to be adopted in 2021 and discussing its alignment with national anti-doping committees.

There will also be open discussion sessions between Wada and representatives of Nados (National Anti-doping Organisation) in the Gulf and Yemen.

Earlier, Shaikh Saad bin Mohammed al Saadi, Minister of Sports Affairs, received the members of Rado.

Others attending the conference include the members the Board of Directors of Gulf States and Yemen Regional Anti-Doping Organisation, namely: Dr Mohammed bin Saleh al Konbaz, Vice-Chairman, Nadia bint Ali al Shamaliya, Secretary-General, Nasser bin Ali al Ansari, member, Dr Rima al Hosaniya, member, Dr Khalid bin Abdulaziz, member and Aziz bin Khalid bin Ahmed, member.

Professor Kamal bin Abdul Hamid bin Khalaf al Hadidi, Chairman of the Anti-Doping Organisation for West Asia, and a number of members of the International Anti-Doping Agency namely: Tom May, Director, Programme Development of Nado/Rado Relations, Kazuhiro Hayashi, Director of Wada Asia Oceania/ Regional Office, and Ieva Lukosite, Senior Manager, are also in the Sultanate for the two-day anti-doping conference.