By Ibrahim Karim Bangura (Tanko)

Over the weekend, the National Sports Authority (NSA) brought together eighty sports administrators from 59 sporting bodies to commence institutionalization process of the Sierra Leone Anti-doping Authority and Position of Trust (POT).

Held at the City Hall View Conference Room in Freetown, the one-day engagement set clear guidelines on the policies and code of conducts that relate to the POT regulation and the Anti-Doping Authority as provided under section 22 of the NSA Act.

NSA  is an agency of Government established by an Act of Parliament with the directive to promote, encourage, develop, and supervise all sports and sporting activities in Sierra Leone and other related matters.

The interchange will help check the abuse in sport, eliminate cheating, prevent athletes from health risks, and protect the integrity of sports, among others.

Speaking at the consultative seminar, Dr. Brian Conton, representative from Anti-doping Sierra Leone, said being independent guarantees the operation of all anti-doping bodies.

“Sierra Leone was about to be banned last year November for having not conducted any anti-doping activities,” he told the summit.

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee, Hon. Hindolo Ngevao, remarked that doping undermines the spirits of fair-play and the competence of those who compete genuinely.

He admonished athletes to break the chain of addiction.

The Executive Director of NSA, Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai Esq, said athletes; footballers in particular, take performance enhancement drugs for different reasons.

“We have an international obligation to set up an anti-doping agency. It is important for us to have a clean sport,” he pointed out, calling on sporting organizations to refrain from monetizing engagements of this nature as Government is poised to save athletes, create jobs for young people, and support sporting bodies based on merit.