BY MBONGENI NDLELA
MBABANE – Minister of Sports Harries Bulunga says Government is committed to making the Kingdom of Eswatini a no doping zone in sport. He has been speaking during the official closing of a week-long workshop for Anti-Doping Educators conducted by the Ministry with support from UNESCO. 30 participants drawn from different sports associations have taken part in the workshop. The Workshop was facilitated by the Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO).
Speaking during the end of the workshop, Minister Bulunga said “As a country that is a signatory to the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport, the Kingdom of Eswatini takes seriously matters of doping in sport and we remain committed to working with our partners and stakeholders to make Eswatini a no-doping zone in sport.”
Minister Bulunga further remarked, “I now urge the wider sporting fraternity to be welcoming and receptive of the teaching & guidance that will come from our newly and adequately trained Anti-Doping Education Officers. Let us give them suitable platforms, listen to them, engage them and do what they teach us to do. Together, we will move a step closer to achieving our shared goal of professionalising our beloved sports industry.”
Minister Bulunga added “As a Ministry, we are engaging our partners to broaden the scope of our anti-doping initiatives so that we can soon be able to roll-out initiatives such as out-of-competition testing & stakeholder engagements. It is our shared belief that we have to roll-out a comprehensive anti-doping effort to ensure that no one is left behind and to further help us realise our goal of a doping free Eswatini.”
UNESCO Rep Nelisiwe Ndwandwe said, “As UNESCO, we are committed to supporting the Government of Eswatini to intensify the battle against doping in sport.”
The Participants were represented by Phumlani Dlamini, who had this to say at the end “This was an eye-opener. We are ready to share the information we have acquired with associations & athletes. The consequences of doping are shocking. We aim for clean sport in Eswatini. To athletes, your bodies are your assets, take care of them.”
