KUALA LUMPUR — The former director of the Malaysian Anti-Doping Agency (Adamas), Azura Abidin, hopes that whoever takes over the top post will continue pushing for the agency’s inclusion under the Sports Development Act 1997, which would grant it full authority.
Speaking to Scoop, Azura explained the importance of placing Adamas under the jurisdiction of the Sports Development Act 1997 to enable it to operate effectively.
“If included in the upcoming amendment to the Sports Act, Adamas will be recognised as the authoritative anti-doping body, empowering it to fulfil its responsibilities.
“In other words, all anti-doping codes would be incorporated into the regulations of the Sports Development Act.
“However, this is still a work in progress. I hope the Youth and Sports Ministry presents it to Parliament for approval. However, it will also depend on the new Adamas director,” said Azura.
In addition, Azura expressed her satisfaction that, over the past four years, she and her team have successfully enhanced the competencies of Adamas officials with the latest anti-doping knowledge and technologies.
As a result, Malaysia has now become a reference point for other Asean countries in the field of anti-doping.
In terms of doping statistics, Azura believes that the numbers could be further reduced, provided that preventive measures are further enhanced through collaborative efforts from all parties.
In 2020, no doping cases were recorded as the world was facing the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, two cases were reported in 2021, which increased to five cases the following year, all involving athletes from weightlifting.
Last year, only one case, involving an athlete from athletics, was recorded. This year, so far, there has been one case, involving a bodybuilding athlete.
“Throughout my time at Adamas, we frequently conducted workshops to educate athletes and sports officials about the dangers of using prohibited substances.
“This awareness is crucial to prevent them from making poor decisions, but ongoing efforts are essential.
“For the recent Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Sarawak, we conducted tests on the samples collected, and for me, if no cases were recorded, it would be a significant success for all of us,” she added.
Since her appointment as the Adamas director in July 2020, Azura has led numerous initiatives alongside her team to strengthen and elevate the agency’s performance.
After four years of dedicated service, Azura has taken on the role of director-general of the National Youth and Sports Department (KP JBSN), effective October 14. — October 16, 2024