Luanda - The president of the Angolan Olympic Committee (COA), Gustavo da Conceição, minimized Angola's suspension by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which banned the use of national symbols in international competitions.
Reacting to the body's decision, communicated to the Angolan Olympism body on Friday, he stated that such suspension could easily be lifted from the moment WADA receives the already promulgated instrument against doping in Angolan sport.
The legislative Act, which began to be discussed this month in general and then in detail, at the 3rd Extraordinary Meeting of the 2nd Legislative Session of the V Legislature of the National Assembly, will go to the final global vote on February 28th.
While this does not happen, according to WADA's communication, Angola has lost the privileges guaranteed by the organization until its reintegration.
As a result, Angolan representatives will be ineligible to hold any position in that international organization, the COA is not eligible to host any event organized or co-organized by the institution.
Another sanction due to failure to timely comply with sports legislation to the statutes of the world Anti-Doping body, concerns the prohibition of the use of national symbols (flag and anthem of the Republic) in international events.
Through the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the COA, Angola had been notified about the non-compliance by WADA, on September 22, 2023 and was granted another four months to fix the outstanding situations.
However, the deadline of January 22, 2024 passed without the non-conformities having been corrected, despite the matter currently being an urgent agenda for implementation by the parliamentarians of the National Assembly. MC/CF/DOJ
