THE Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service, Agnes Tjongarero, has announced the appointment of members of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) National Project Technical Working Committee (TWC).
According to a media release made available to this publication yesterday, the appointment follows the ratification and coming into effect of the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport by member states in 2007 and the subsequent holding of a consultative workshop with its various stakeholders in June 2023, in Windhoek.
The members of the TWC are Gaby Ahrens, Joan Smit, Tjeripo Musutua, Agnes Hausiku, Charles Humavindu, and Victoria Katukula, who is the National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) liaison officer.
The members were given their appointment letters on 8 August 2023.
Speaking at the handing over of the letters, minister Tjongarero, said it was long overdue for Namibia to establish its own national anti-doping organisation and become code-compliant.
She said this was a very important task for the future of sports and athletes in this county.
Before the establishment of NADO, the Ministry of Sport, last year approached UNESCO for funding, which culminated in the country being awarded a national project titled ‘Development of a Legal Framework for the establishment of a National Anti-Doping Organisation’, the statement said.
NADO will work with other organisations such as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Africa, the Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO), and the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS).
The technical working committee will embark on the process to draft the country’s anti-doping policy, which in turn will set the tone for the envisaged anti-doping legislation.
The TWC comprises the Ministry of Sport, Youth, and National Service; the Namibia Sport Commission; the Namibia National Olympic Committee; the Namibia National Paralympic Committee; and the WADA Athlete Councils.
Currently, the committee will be responsible for overseeing anti-doping activities in Namibia as per International Olympic Committee (IOC) policies.