JAKARTA, Indonesia: The Olympic Council of Asia is continuing its fight against doping in sport at the heart of the 18th Asian Games: the Athletes’ Village at Kemayoran, Jakarta.
With the support of the OCA, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has set up an information centre next to the dining hall as part of WADA’s Athlete Outreach programme.
Athletes, coaches and officials from the 45 competing National Olympic Committees are flocking to the centre to learn more about anti-doping by taking a quiz involving 10 questions. As a reward, they receive a pair of flip-flops carrying the “play true” slogan of the Outreach programme.
“All the athletes have to play true and say ‘No’ to doping,” says Iran’s Sepideh Tavakoly Nik, who will be competing in the high jump.
“A big part of the doping problem is education, and this quiz is a fun way to learn more,” she added.
“Actually I experienced something two years ago. I was sick and I needed to use medicine, but I checked with our National Olympic Committee and, because of doping, I could not take the medicine.”
Another athlete, kabaddi player Fatema Akhtar Poly from Bangladesh, is competing in her third Asian Games after Guangzhou 2010 and Incheon 2014 and has enjoyed the interactive quiz and questions.
“I played the game and it is a very nice way to learn more about anti-doping,” she said, holding her flip-flops on the way out.
Stacy Spletzer, senior manager of Athlete Relations and Communications from WADA’s head office in Montreal, Canada, says the Outreach programme would not have been possible without the support of the OCA.
“This is our fourth Asian Games since Qatar in 2006 and it is such a pleasure to work with the OCA,” she said. “The OCA do everything in their power to make sure our information kiosk is in a great location and they support us at all levels. It is very symbolic of their support of the anti-doping issue.”
One of the keys to the success of the quiz among athletes is that it is available in 40 languages, covering all five zones in the OCA and also equipped for the other continental associations within the Olympic movement.
“This is the W in WADA – World,” says Stacy. “We have 10 people here from all regions in Asia to chat with the athletes and help them with the quiz, which is the core element of the Outreach programme.
“The role of this programme is to raise awareness, promote clean sport and make sure the athletes are aware of their rights and responsibilities.”
The Outreach programme will be open next to the Dining Hall until the 18th Asian Games Closing Ceremony on September 2.
