Citation

Ruwuya J, Juma BO, Woolf J. Front. Sports Act. Living 2022; 4: e966559.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Frontiers Media)

DOI

10.3389/fspor.2022.966559

PMID

36570497

PMCID

PMC9772459

Abstract

Concerns regarding the capability of the International Olympic Committee to address doping in sport catalyzed the formation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 1999. In its establishment phase, WADA sought geopolitical legitimacy and support from governments (including non-Western states) for financing and acceptance. Africa was not considered during WADA's creation, relegating African states to a passive role in the global anti-doping program, and yet is still subject to the strict compliance requirements for WADA's global policy. African countries face challenges establishing anti-doping support structures and implementing the universal policy, including competing macro-level policy demands that favor addressing legacies of colonialism and human capacity development. To develop robust anti-doping support structures, African nations must spearhead anti-doping initiatives by leveraging existing infrastructure and encouraging collaborations between NADOs such that capacity can be built for policy implementation.

Language: en

Keywords

African sport; clean sport; neo-colonialism; sport governance; sport policy