Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana has registered 15 doping cases in a space of 10 years.
National Anti-Doping coordinator of the National Anti-Doping Coordination Office, Fredrick Seno said in an interview during the start of the Anti-Doping training workshop in Gaborone on Saturday that this was a huge number in comparison to the sportspersons in the country.
He said both elite and amateur sportspersons showed increasing use of doping substance with a performance enhancing intention.
Therefore, he said there was need for effective doping prevention beyond the context of elite sport and called on the need for a collective effort to combat doping.
“We need collaborations with different stakeholders to play a role because Anti-doping office cannot do it alone,” he said.
He said doping cuts across codes; from athletics, softball and rugby and he called upon parents to talk to their children about doping prevention. He said it was crucial for stakeholders, including athletes, parents, coaches to foster a culture of clean sport and instilling values of integrity and fair play from a younger age.
Seno said the use of performance enhancing drugs did not only undermine the spirit of fair competition but also posed serious dangers to the wellbeing of athletes.
He further said teachings on anti-doping would promote ethical values, adding that it emphasised honesty, integrity and sportsmanship in both sports and life and for the country as well.
He said if all were engaged as allies in the fight against doping, the next generation of athletes would be empowered to uphold the values of clean sports.
He urged upcoming sportspersons to learn from athletes who faced consequences of doping violations, which had a negative impact on their careers and reputations.
South African Institute for Drug Free Sport education projects and supervisor, Thando Mandla said it was important for the National Anti-Doping Coordination Office to collaborate with stakeholders and other international anti-doping agencies.
He said that would help the office to operate effectively.
He said anti-doping revealed a societal phenomenon that needed concentrated efforts from different targeted educational processes including the communities at large.
He said all from grassroots level to the elite sportsmanship should be educated on substance free sports.
If sportspersons were left behind at a young age, he said the substance might affect their health in the long run.
He said it was important to tackle doping in all sports codes to ensure a culture of ethics and fair play.
The training workshop was meant to equip anti-doping educators with vital skills and knowledge on how to educate athletes on issues of anti-doping and to keep up with the changing trends.
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