The National Council of Sports (NCS) and the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) have convened a meeting with sports stakeholders to discuss the National Sports Anti-Doping Regulations 2025, aiming to curb doping and ensure fair competition in sports.
Uganda Olympics Committee President Dr. Donald Rukare emphasized the importance of educating athletes on prohibited substances, stating, “It is important that athletes are educated and we have been having workshops to have athletes educated on what is on the prohibited list.”
Professor Celestino Obua, Chairperson of the National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO), revealed that the process to implement the regulations is ongoing, urging federations and associations to participate and implement the new rules. “It is our prayer that we have engaged the federations and associations not only for them to participate but for them to know that there is a regulation coming in place which we expect them to implement,” he said.
Brighton Barugahare, Chairperson of the Anti-Doping Regulations Task Force, hopes the new rules will improve sports standards in Uganda, minimizing doping cases and ensuring the country’s participation in international sports. “NADO is meant to be independent but also to ensure that we minimise doping cases which can affect the credibility of sports and generally lead to the banning of the country from participating in international sports,” he noted.
The National Sports Act was amended in 2024 to align with the World Anti-Doping Code, following a warning from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to block Ugandan athletes from international competitions if Uganda failed to comply.
