Minister for Sports and Recreation Kofi Adams has inaugurated the National Anti-Doping Board, following the passage of the Anti-Doping Act, 2024.
The Board would be chaired by former President of Ghana Athletics and the Ghana Olympic Committee, Professor Francis Dodoo.
The Board was officially sworn in at a ceremony in Accra, with a mandate to protect the integrity of sport and align fully with global anti-doping standards.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, Minister for Sports and Recreation Kofi Adams described the establishment of the Board as a defining moment in Ghana’s sporting history.
He expressed gratitude to members of the Board for accepting what he described as a demanding national responsibility.
“Today marks a defining moment in Ghana’s sporting history. We are completing a national journey from intention to institution, from advocacy to law, and from law to action,” he said.
“Public service is never convenient. It demands time, sacrifice, patience, and courage. By accepting these appointments, you have chosen duty over comfort and principle over ease,” he noted.
He explained that the creation of the Board, alongside the National Anti-Doping Agency, demonstrates the government’s resolve to safeguard athletes and protect Ghana’s reputation on the global stage.
“This government, under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, did not pursue these reforms for symbolism. We pursued them because they were necessary,” the Buem MP stated.
He opened that “Doping remains one of the greatest threats to credibility, to health, and to the values that make competition meaningful,” he said.
According to him, Ghana’s primary responsibility lies with protecting athletes at all levels—from grassroots to elite sport.
“They must know that their health matters. That their future matters. That success must never come at the cost of their well-being,” he said.
“There will be pressure. There will be famous names. There will be attempts to influence, to delay, and to dilute. Your loyalty must be to the law, to the athlete, and to the integrity of Ghanaian sport.”
“Ghana’s ambition must be higher. We must not only meet global standards. We must show that African countries can lead with credibility, structure, and independence,” he added.
Prof. Dodoo chairs the 13-member Board, which includes Killian Kwame Abrampah (Secretary), Yennah Ngminlasongna Michael, Dr George Tsey Sabblah, Hazel Juddy Mensah, Anna Pearl Akiwumi Siriboe, Gaetan Charles Adangabey, Mrs Wilhelmina Asamoah (Chief Director, Ministry of Sports and Recreation), ACP Asiedu Eric Asamoah, Apollonius Osei-Akoto Asare, Stephen Appiah, Dr Christian Hagin, and Wosiela Eve Bobie.
The Board is expected to provide leadership and oversight for Ghana’s anti-doping framework, as the country works to promote clean sport and safeguard the welfare of its athletes.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
