The Senate is compelled to approve the National Doping Law before August 4 to prevent the country from serious sanctions that would separate it from the international arena.
That day the second and last extension given by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) expires, so that the country has the legal instrument, the only one of the 15 points identified that is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Sport.
The piece introduced by legislator Orlando Jorge Villegas was unanimously approved last Tuesday and everything seems to indicate that there is a consensus for the same thing to happen next Wednesday in the Upper House.
Marcos Díaz, Unesco Anti-Doping executive.
“As president of the UNESCO International Anti-Doping Convention, I am very happy that it has already been approved in the Lower House and optimistic that the senators will approve it quickly to meet this requirement and avoid a sanction to the country” declared Marcos Diaz.
He revealed that this piece of legislation was drafted together with Dr. Milton Pinedo, president of the Dominican Federation of Sports Medicine, with the support of the legal department of the Federation so that it can comply with the requirement of the World Anti-Doping Code that came into force in January. of 2021 and avoid the country an unfortunate sanction.
He warned that if the Bill is not approved, the country would not be able to host any international event, nor carry the flag or play the national anthem and the athletes would not wear the tricolor uniform.
Among these events, the participation of the Dominican delegation in the “Santiago de Chile 2023” Pan American Games, scheduled to take place between the months of October and November of this year, and the qualifying tournaments for the “Paris 2024” Olympic Games, stand out.
Also to host the Central American and Caribbean Games of 2026, among many others organized by the organizations of the continent, mainly.
“Our country would be in the situation that Russia is in, but for different reasons,” explained Marcos Díaz.
On his side, Dr. Pinedo, considered by Díaz as the main authority that the country has on the matter, argued that “The Anti-Doping Law is a necessity for national sport to maintain its upward trajectory in high performance.”