Bangkok, Thailand: The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is keen to support and promote the anti-doping programmes in Asia to protect the health and the integrity of the athletes. The OCA supported  the Asian Ad Hoc Finance Committee meeting held around the 9th Asia/Oceania Region Intergovernmental Ministerial Meeting on Anti-Doping in Sports, jointly hosted by the government of Thailand and World Anti-Anti-Doping Agency. The OCA views these events as good opportunities for all countries and regions across Asia to meet and share their experiences in all aspects of anti-doping.

The Asian Ad Hoc Finance Committee meeting took place in Bangkok on June 26 in the presence of government representatives of Qatar, Brunei, India and China and Jordan (Chair); while the upcoming 9th Asia/Oceania Intergovernmental Meeting on Anti-Doping in Sports shall be held on June 28-29.

Mr. Reza Charim, Director of the Doping Control Department in OCA, represented the OCA during the finance meeting as an observer from OCA. In addition, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), whose regional office is acting as secretariat for the committee, also took part by the General Director, Mr. David Howman,  Ms.  Anne Jansen, a senior manager in WADA’s Government Relations & Compliance, Mr. Kazuhiro Hayashi (Director) and Ms. Miki Chiho (Coordinator), of Asia/Oceania WADA Regional Office.

The main purpose of the meeting was to come up with a recommendation on the proposed formulae for WADA’s annual contribution for 2013 and beyond to be presented to Asian countries. The final recommendation will be presented during the 9th Asia/Oceania Intergovernmental Meeting on Anti-Doping in Sports.

It is worth mentioning that Asia contributes 20.46% of WADA’s annual contribution, which was agreed during the International Intergovernmental Consultative Group on Anti-Doping in Sports (IICGADS).

Article submitted by Nadia Ali Al Shamali, OCA