Bachmann confident WADA issue over soon
Source: The Manila times
Author: Waylon Galvez
MANILA, Philippines: Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Richard Bachmann expressed optimism that the country's issue with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will soon be resolved and not affect the participation of the national team in various international competitions including the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Bachmann said that while the Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization is a separate private entity, the government sports agency is providing the necessary assistance for PHI-NADO - the local anti-doping agency - to address the things required by WADA.
As per the PSC chairman, the office of President Bongbong Marcos, as well as congress and senate have extended help to give PHI-NADO the budget it needs for its operations.
"We are working with Malacanang with the legislative requirements of WADA," Bachmann said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at the PSC conference hall at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Vito Cruz, Manila.
"The help of Malacanang is greatly appreciated," added Bachmann at the same forum supported by the PSC, San Miguel Corp., the Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, PLDT/Smart, and the country's 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.
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According to Bachmann, in an effort to comply with all the WADA requirements, there is a need to empower PHI-NADO, which at the moment is undermanned, and turn it to a fully independent and operational group with the personnel that could cater to the thousands of athletes in the national pool.
"Right now, ang trato namin sa PHI-NADO is like an NSA. We just fund them. Siguro dapat independent na sila," added Bachmann, who appeared at the forum with PSC executive director Paulo Tatad and PHI-NADO officer Nathan Vasquez.
The PHI-NADO officer said the case of the Philippines in this issue with WADA is similar to Indonesia in 2021, which is non-compliance to administrative work.
"They were forced to establish their own organization (like PHI-NADO)," said Vasquez.
The rising concern started when WADA wrote the PSC last January following a previous notice in September last year for its alleged failure to comply with a WADA code. Failure to respond positively in 21 days could have led to a suspension of the Philippines from international events like the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and the Olympics as raised by the POC.
The Philippines appealed the WADA action, and the issue has been elevated to the Court of Arbitration in Sports (CAS).
Bachmann said the PSC, PHI-NADO, which is in charge of anti-doping education in the country, and all the stakeholders are now doing everything they could to make sure the issue is ironed out even before WADA representatives pay the country a visit next month.
"Other countries within Southeast Asia are also experiencing it right now. That's why we would look at this as an opportunity. Now we have the stakeholders that are more conscious of what needs to be done," said Tatad.
"The Office of the President is helping us and the POC and the NSAs (national sports associations) are more collaborative. If we have that in place rest assured we will not have these administrative issues moving forward," he added.
The PSC said Filipino athletes hoping to qualify to the Paris Olympics in July are moving on with their bids.
"Nothing is jeopardized, and we are confident that this will be resolved. But we need to prove ourselves," said Tatad.