World Anti-Doping Agency hopes for Bahrain Asian Youth Games

With the aim of bringing the principles of clean sport closer to the more than 4,000 athletes aged 14 to 17 participating in the Asian Youth Games held in Manama, the World Anti-Doping Agency has deployed an athlete support team at the multi-sport event through proactive interventions.

The Games, which will be attended by athletes from 45 member countries of the Olympic Council of Asia, will see representatives from the World Anti-Doping Agency set up space at the Athlete's Centre, where young athletes can interact directly with Olympic figures and anti-doping programme officials.

World Anti-Doping Agency hopes for Bahrain Asian Youth Games

Director of the WADA Regional Office for Asia/Oceania, YaYa Yamamoto, expressed her delight at being in Bahrain to promote clean sport and engage with young athletes participating in the Asian Youth Games. Director YaYa Yamamoto also stressed the importance of starting this relationship early in an athlete’s career. The OCA is a strong, long-term partner who understands the importance of engaging with athletes from a young age so they feel supported in their sporting careers and the values ​​of clean sport.

The Athlete Support Team has not limited itself to raising awareness; they have brought an educational initiative to Bahrain and engaged high-level athletes who act as ambassadors for clean sport in their countries. Among them are Ahmed Al-Aradi, Asian and World Jiu-Jitsu Champion; Husein Alireza, Saudi Olympic rower at Tokyo 2020; Amantur Ismailov, a Kyrgyz Greco-Roman wrestler competing at Paris 2024; and Mathivani Murugeesan, a three-time Southeast Asian Games karate champion and a member of the Malaysian Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission.

Asian and World Jiu-Jitsu Champion Ahmed Al-Aradi said: “Interacting with the next generation of athletes and sharing his sporting and anti-doping experiences was not only educational but also crucially competitive, as it was a qualifying event for the Youth Olympic Games. The interactions at this event had a strong impact and provided young athletes with clean sporting values ​​that they can carry forward in future events.”

The One Play True Team programme, which WADA promotes at such events, aims to create an international community committed to transparency and sporting ethics. In Bahrain, the initiative also leaves a tangible legacy: the graphics and promotional materials will remain in the country for future awareness-raising activities coordinated by Bahrain’s national anti-doping organization. The global body insists that these ‘legacy aspects’ are essential to underpin long-term education.

WADA has stepped up its strategy to involve athletes in the development of the rules governing the fight against doping. According to the organization, athletes have moved from being the object of anti-doping policies to playing a central role in designing those policies. This shift reflects the ‘athlete-centric’ principle in its strategic plan, which aims to engage and empower athletes to contribute to the development of anti-doping policies, as well as to create an easier anti-doping journey for athletes and maximize the impact of the program so that athletes can build healthy and sustainable sports careers.

WADA launched an athlete-centered consultation as part of the process to update the World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards, seeking direct input and suggestions from athletes and athlete commissions worldwide. The consultation, conducted in collaboration with the agency’s athlete council, received more than 600 responses from athletes and commissions from more than 60 countries and over 70 sports or disciplines. The ultimate goal is to hear from athletes worldwide and address the issues that matter most to them.

The role of the Athletes’ Council is to provide athletes with access to decision-making bodies and enable them to influence the governance of their organisations. Within this framework, the presence of Athletes’ Support Groups at events such as Bahrain 2025 is seen as part of a global strategy that not only aims to prevent doping but also to promote direct dialogue between athletes and anti-doping regulators.

It is also important to work with the support team to ensure that they are able to support the athletes’ journey well. For WADA, the involvement of coaches, doctors and technicians, and national teams play a vital role in creating a clean sporting environment. In the case of the Asian Youth Games, the aim is to provide young athletes with a solid foundation that they can build on in future international sporting events and their future careers.

Following the Bahrain stop, the team will continue their journey to major sporting events in 2025. The agenda includes the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, scheduled to take place in November, and the African Youth Games in Angola in December. Through these events, the agency aims to expand the reach of the program and strengthen its global network of clean sport athlete ambassadors.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/co-quan-chong-doping-the-gioi-ki-vong-o-dai-hoi-the-thao-tre-chau-a-bahrain-20251111150252435.htm