Ghana committed to fight against doping in sports - Sports Minister

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah has reiterated the government’s commitment to making sure sports competitions are free from doping and cheating.

The Sports Minister mentioned that the Akufo-Addo-led government is willing to collaborate with other governments and agencies to ensure that cases of doping and other forms of cheating are completely eradicated from the sporting space.

According to him the current situation where emphasis is placed on trophies and individual glories allow for attitudes such as doping, age-cheating and other vices to fester.

He thus called on all sports personalities and organizations to live up the true the meaning of Olympic Creed which states that “the most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

Addressing delegates at a meeting of the Africa Zone VI Regional Doping Organization in Accra on Wednesday, November 21, Isaac Asiamah said “as a country which has signed onto the international convention against doping in sports, Ghana is prepared to ensure that we support and commit to the fight against doping in sports. This is a commitment coming from the president of the land. He is very much committed to this course to ensuring that we maintain purity in sports”.

The Minister also lauded the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Africa Zone VI Regional Anti-Doping Agency for initiating a well-coordinated strategy for fighting doping.

He outlined some of the steps being taken by his outfit to combat doping in Ghana sports.

“I want to commend the Africa Zone VI Regional Anti-Doping Agency and World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA) Africa Office for taking the lead towards a more harmonized strategy to fight doping in sports on the continent”.

“Upon taking office in 2017, I realized the need for the establishment of national anti-doping organization which is a requisite for countries that have ratified the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sports. The Ministry has also taken steps to reconstitute the Ghana Anti-Doping Committee”, the Minister concluded.

The conference was attended by representatives from Ghana, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

There were also delegates from the Africa Union Sports Council ( and the WADA Conference of South Africa National Olympic Committee (COSANOC).

The meeting is geared towards promoting drug-free sports and working with member countries to protect clean athletes and promote clean sports.