Minister for Culture, Youth and Sports Justina Charles, is calling on stakeholders to continue anti doping advocacy to ensure that athletes in Dominica remain drug free.
Speaking on Monday, at the opening ceremony of a workshop geared at promoting anti-doping habits amongst Dominican athletes, Charles applauded Dominican athletes for remaining drug free and said that the fight against doping stems from the very top.
“The use of drugs to enhance performance is considered to be unethical since it provides the athlete with an unfair advantage and is against the spirit of sports. It is also detrimental to the health of our athletes,” she stated. “The younger generations look at our athletes as role models so the use of enhancing substances can have a triple effect that can create generations of substance enhancing users.”
Charles stated further that it is therefore incumbent on stakeholders to ensure that advocacy continues towards the complete elimination of doping in sports.
“The athletes and stakeholders must be made aware of the life threatening impact of doping such as heart disease amongst others,” she noted. “This is enough evidence for us all to join the awareness and advocacy campaign to ensure that we save lives of generations of athletes and maintain the integrity of sports. The athletes must also be made a part of this awareness for they must be made aware of what is expected of them in this whole equation.”
Chairman of Caribbean Regional Anti Doping Organization (RADO), Dr Adrian Lorde, congratulated the National Anti-Doping Organisation INC for their work in Dominica. He added that doping is not only the presence of a substance found in an athlete’s urine but the definition goes further.
“It is the use of a substance or method that is prohibited in the athletes bodily specimen,” he said. “It is also refusing to submit to doping controls when asked to do so by a doping control officer. Doping is also tampering or attempting to tamper with any part of the procedure of doping controls, just possession of any prohibited substance in your room, luggage is also considered as doping. Trafficking, or attempt to traffic, administering or an attempt to administer of any substance is considered doping and for all of those eight or so methods in the definition the sanction is the same.”
Lorde noted that several countries do not have enough personnel to conduct anti-doping test and education as required by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
He added that Dominica is one of the countries with this issue.
The workshop which is being held under the theme “Building Awareness and Advocacy to Eliminate Doping in Sport” is part of a UNESCO sponsored project to the tune of $20,000.
Another workshop will be held in mid September for physical education for teachers and coaches.
hypocrite
One thing we can make everything political eh…..and when we have our own motive. This a World Anti Doping Programme..done over the world. It is not costing Dominica….and because is Sports..the Minister of Sports would obviously be invited to speak. Sports is big business and the persons involved want it without doping..so they go around the world educating and will reprimand anyone who is found guilty. Dominica, although we are not at the top of sports, takes part in FIFA, IAAF, and other internationally affiliated competitions.
Justina works hard (I know that for sure)….not because she was a nurse ..that she cant be the Minister….she has technical people to work for her….a Minister does not have to have PHD in what he/she is doing.. remember there are heads of divisions in all the ministries and their jobs are to advise the minister accordingly.
We are not asking for no PHD just common sense. You cannot out there advocating to keep athletes straight when u are not giving them the opportunities to compete, why not negotiate with that same world organisation to invest in the athletes?
20.000 was given for the project,that’s why she say something?I use to give you guys a chance to do your thing.But your thing is;WHAT IN IT FOR ME’ this policy killing Dominica.Hope it’s not too late for Dominica.We need a change Now.
Many think this is a non-story, but you have to know that youth and athelets all over can be sophisticated and try things they read or heard of. It can be real, they world is shrinking, we have to be real. Just forget the messenger and think about it for a moment.
Our national football players are either unemployed or starving at some low paying jobs, they are barely supported to participate in sporting activities. The national team sometimes have to go all in the country side just to practise, and the stadium is there, they cannot use it. Some cannot even time off their little jobs to represent Dominica……you have to have baseline or athletes to have anti doping laws….and the way things are we are already setting they up to take drugs since we are not investing in them to elevated them…so
Where is Minister Justina when our athletes were sleeping on hard benches in Panama? Where is the Minister when our young people in Roseau and environment are seeking basic sporting facilities?
Where is the Minister when all our playing fields in our villages and hamlets are taken over by grass?
Where is the Minister when our young national players cannot afford a ticket to defend their championship in regional tournaments?
Where was the Minister while the UWP came to the rescue of or athletes and our national pride?
Youth 2000. have no fear. Don’t be doped by the red cool aid and cheap talk. You are already aware that the DLP’s desire is to threaten your future existence as viable and productive citizens of Dominica by turning you into lazy, unproductive beggars and recipients of hand outs.
The negative impact of this level of metal and emotional doping is killing your god given talents, abilities, skills and competencies. There is enough evidence of the neglect to sports and culture in Dominica for all of you to join the awareness and advocacy campaign of the UWP blue machine to ensure that we save our country, our lives, our generation and future generations of athletes, sportsmen.
It is absolutely imperative that all young people must become involved and be part of this awareness. Yes, you must be made aware of what is expected of you in this whole democratic revolution to reclaim our country and to be proud sons and daughters once again.
Yes we can take Dominica beyond the next level. Keep hope alive. Be sure with the saw. But remember to do that change of government is not an option. It is a must.
I am Fed Up with Labour
In the international sports world doping is taking seriously. Is the minister referring to some countries in the West Indies or the Caribbean in general which do not have a system to conduct anti-doping tests? Considering these days many people ingest dope, they should ensure that they obtain one.
Thank God for the internet. It makes every bloke an instant expert on every thing that amount to nothing. Keep it rolling for the table is already turning. Great speech madam minister!!!!!
Not little speed all you have where our sport rep will get this kind of drugs we always borrowing meds from our neighbor do the athletes know which drugs that are band they need help to go our there and represent Dominica give me a brake
I am not even reading that….there is nothing that is English language butcher; you are never there to help them, never any money to send them overseas to participate in regional sporting activities, so WHAT IS THE USE OF TESTING? it is for these same reasons, so what testing if they are not participating….WHATEVER. Looser
REALLY JUSTIN
you should not even show you face and talk about athletes. who are you going to test, when and where, I cost money to do so, these test are not done at at the hospital lab, so that means hundreds of dollars to be sent overseas. Hmmm let me see, that same amount of money was need to seen ELOI to St Lucia today….if you cannot make an athlete how you going to have athlete to test in the first place….NO SENSE….things happening backwards and I am so disappointed. All this time and effort for what? to buy snacks for everyone there, electrical bill etc…..why not focus that attention on the sports men and women who do well and welcome them with a little buffet and publicity and help them be ATHLETEs/celebrities and the true embassadors that they are. RESIGN JUSTINA
Where are the sporting facilities, Mrs Charles? Our athletes and sportsmen have been thrown out of the National Stadium. Football, Basketball, Athletics, Netball, Volleyball. The young athletes have been forced out on the streets and sub-standard playing fields while the stadium is closed to the athletes of Dominica. Let us hear from you and your Government about this instead of the doping issue that everyone knows about.
The question is what was given to these young people to bribe them during the last election.
The adults were bribed too, What was given? Money, sandals, K F C ,sardine, oil, flour, sugar, top up, see woo, carib,kubuli and Presidente beer, sweetie,balloon, popcorn, johny cake, cakes,red T-Shirts written ‘Thank God For Dimples’.Plywood, 2 by 4 lumber galvanize, bricks, nails,paying of utility bills,etc etc etc . Now they are catching their tail, but there is room in UWP.
I am not a slavish and/or gullible supporter of any party, but I will vote for the better of the two parties which is the UWP!
PLEASE DO NOT COME TO MY HOME WITH ALL YOU junk this election.
You obviously have no interest in sports, SO I WONT EVEN READ THE ENTIRE PIECE. You and the cabal need to go.TO BE KICK OUT BY THE ELECTORATE! Was you voice heard over the weekend re Gem Eloi? You and your crew are useless, and expired.
SHAME ON YOU ALL!
Or is it that you have no patience to read long writings? I must inform you patience is a (godly) virtue, one of the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit, a prerequisite of holiness and striving for it and for obtaining eternal salvation. If you do not have it, as God gives you the allotted time, pray to Him for this grace. She has said nothing that is inaccurate. She has the authority to make those statements.
What is your problem? Even though you support another Party, this gives you no reason to make such a statement against her. What wrong has she done to nationals as yourself? What is her crime? What wrong did she do to you?
Tiway woch Maytay pi (Take out stone put trash?)Dominica is witnessing the worse Govt. in its history.
The Nature Isle is reeling backwards in sports due to the most inefficient, incapable Minister of Sports and Culture.
Is like comparing chalk and cheese. The present DLP Minister of Sports and culture is a waste of time. Is that all you permit as opposed to Ron Green, an international athlete, educator and performer as Minister of Sports and Education?
Remember, the tragic incident with the footballers? Scan not working. The sole survivor, a fire fighter, was out of hospital, with no scan taken to know the extent of his ordeal. DLP Govt. has shown, over and over again, that they do not care two hoots about the plights of the youth.
Me, myself and I.SHAME ON THEM!
Since you appear to be such an expert which you think you are, try going up for election.
ron green u say ??? get out of the pass
I just hate it when people who want to make the news breathe all the oxygen to say nothing substantial. Jah!
But..”Change Must Come” and that will be sooner rather than later.
Assertive, NOT Agressive!
You mean doping in spots in Dominica is perceived as so important that we took people out of their work to hold a conference to speak to it? As one blogger stated: what are the benefits of doping for our athletes? I think the time would be best spent discussing who to develop spots on the island and how to run effective spotting programs so that our athletes have needed resources.
I cannot believe that someone would make such a silly comment, assuming that doping is not important. Of course it is! Did you not read the article? Have you not heard of and read international news pertaining to doping and how serious it is taken for obvious reasons that some athletes were dismissed for doping? Or are you residing in another world; not referring to Dominica, such as Mars? Wake up and cease your game of pretense which I feel is exactly what you are doing – pretending.
Am not going to read this article just going to send this out there…ok I went and read it…now:
U usually cheat to get ahead be it in sports or otherwise. ppl who dope do so because there is some sort of reward at the end if they are successful. Sports in dominica has NO financial or otherwise benefit and the sportsmen/women does it for the luv of the sport.
The only doping that happening if before a race/sporting activity the sportman/woman eats soime fish water/fig and dasheen lol
You stated the only doping that is happening… How are you so sure that the men of all do not take dope prior to the play or that their blood does not contain it?
As long as it is food and nutritious ones to give them strength to compete, they cannot go wrong or ingest anything that is illegal in sports.
Many men of all do take dope. It is illegal and against the regulations of the sportsworld.
how are you going to trace doping if you don’t have any normal blood test lab on the island?
No you didn’t just say that
say it ain’t so what a damn shame.
If Dominica does not have such a system and the athletes play internationally or in a country which has anti-doping laws and are tested for anti-doping, they will be found out. It is better they pay heed and not ingest dope. It is a warning for them to avoid embarrassment and humiliation if they are pulled off the field. They will be dismissed if this chemical is found in their bloodstream. It surely would be the end of their career in sports.
Hmmmmmm!!!
Where were you Ms. charles when our table tennis athletes needed funds to travel and participate in the OECS tournament now on?