An Inter-regional African ministerial meeting on anti-doping in sports ended in Banjul yesterday with African ministers of sport committing themselves to leverage on the momentum gained through engagement with Unesco and other global partners in the Banjul meeting to reinforce the governance and social imapct of sport in Africa.
The gathering in Banjul, the 3rd of its kind, attended by ministers and other experts from the African and international anti-doping and sport integrity officials, commended the Gambia for hosting the event which galvanised joint efforts to construct sustainable sport governance in Africa.
In his opening speech, Vice President Muhammed Jallow, representing President Barrow said the Gambia believes in the principle that sports should be clean, fair and competitive to all participants.
The chairperson of the ninth session of the Conference of Parties to Unesco’s international convention against doping in sports (COP) Matar Ba’ led deliberations surrounding the theme, — fostering inter- regional cooperation and convergence of sport value, ethics and integrity. Ba said the Unesco fund, having supported over 250 projects globally and more than 70 in Africa, remains a vital resource for enhancing anti-doping education and strengthening governance frameworks
The Gambia’s minister of sports, Bakary Badjie, said the strategies and actions agreed upon in Banjul will lay the foundation for strengthened sports governance, adding that these steps will serve as a crucial entry point to address the challenges young people face across the continent, including drug use and irregular migration.
Meanwhile, following the closing of the event host minister Bakary Badjie, led a delegation from the meeting to meet President Adama Barrow at State House where the president was briefed on anti-doping discussions and thanked him for his support.
Hon Badjie emphasised the new Sports Bill’s focus on doping, while Matar Ba, chairperson of the COP Bureau, praised The Gambia’s leadership in this area. President Barrow highlighted sports as a unifier and reaffirmed his commitment to youth and sports development.
