Trinidad and Tobago complies with WADA rules in time for Commonwealth Youth Games

WITH the country gearing up to host the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games from August 4-11, Parliament on Tuesday passed the Anti-Doping in Sports (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

The amendments to the bill, which were piloted by acting Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, were raised to keep Trinidad and Tobago in line with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code 2023.

“In 44 days, TT will host the Commonwealth Youth Games and the international code said TT must be in compliance with international standards” Al-Rawi said.

He added that the WADA code was one of the world’s greatest unifiers adding that it levelled the playing field as the code is “constantly reforming itself.”

In March, Al-Rawi said, the Government was informed that it was bound to make amendments to the legislation as stipulated by the international anti-doping bodies and therefore the legislation was brought to ensure TT adhered to that, in light of the upcoming games.

Al-Rawi said he was bringing the legislation on behalf of his political team-mate Sports Minister Shamfa Cudjoe, who was delayed in Tobago.

The WADA code, he said, must be implemented through legislative support. There were simple amendments to the law, Al-Rawi said, which affected 11 clauses, namely clauses 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 15 to 19 and 22.

As part of the WADA code, Al-Rawi said an appeal board must be in place and in adherence to the separation of powers, President Christine Kangaloo will appoint the members of the appeal panel based on the recommendation of the WADA code.

Al-Rawi said in 2017 there were plans to review the code and in 2021 the review was completed with it becoming enforced in 2021 during the pandemic. In the absence of the amendments, Al-Rawi said the state was guided by the Olympic Committee.

According to the International Test Agency, the WADA code is the core document that harmonises anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sports organisations and among public authorities around the world.