Africa Zone five is one of the zones on the continent that are producing a number of gold medals in the international competitions but been facing doping challenges.
Uganda Olympic Committee, Olympic solidarity and RADO held a three days Anti-Doping Educators, Training Trainers workshop at Sheraton Hotel- Kampala and it had climaxed on Friday 9, September, 2022.
The workshop was looking at educating the Anti-doping trainers who will educate the Educators of Anti-doping codes to the athletes of the member countries of Africa zone five as they aim at cleaning sport through avoiding doping in athletes.
“We are very happy that we came to Uganda to do this critical part of the the Anti-doping program, education right now is a very critical step for all programs, you are not allowed by World Anti-doping code to test an athlete before you educate the athlete.
“For our region, the program is still at infancy, but it’s a very important process that we are capacitating the people who will go out there to ensure that all athletes get anti-doping education.” Says Christine Mugera, the Africa Zone V regional coordinator of Anti-Doping.
The Uganda Olympic Committee General Secretary, Beatrice Ayikoru also revealed that the three days workshop that kicked off on Wednesday and climaxed today on Friday, has been a success and Uganda will benefit a lot from this because, the country had few educators but now, it has three.
“We have had a very successful training of trainer in anti-doping, we are very happy that all the member association of Africa zone V have participated, the participants were able to learn a lot, gained skills and hope when they get back to their countries, they are going to make use of what they have attained.
We expect them to go and educate educators with in their countries to be able to educate, all the stakeholders within the sports fraternity. ” Said UOC General Secretary Beatrice Ayikoru.
One of the participants and the only Educator Uganda had, Dr. Christopher Edward Mbowa revealed that, a lot they learnt and it added a lot to Uganda because they have been lacking trainers to educators.
“We didn’t have trainer of trainers to the educators of Anti-doping issues, but right now, we have capacity to train more trainers to get into the grassroot projects to make sure our athletes are protected right from the grassroots.
In Uganda, have been the only educator but now the number increased, now we have those who are going to train the educators, and we are going to seat with UOC medical commission and then embark on holding workshops for educators. ” Said Dr. Mbowa.
Uganda had three participants; Dr. Christopher Edward Mbowa, Dr. Aya Nakitanda and Dr. Nana Nakiddu.
The participants came from 12 nations; Uganda the host, Kenya, Rwanda, Gambia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.