IWF/ITA Clean Sport Seminar gathers 100 participants of the Worlds in Peru!

On the third day of the IWF World Youth and Junior Championships, the IWF/ITA Clean Sport Seminar took place this morning in Lima, Peru, with the attendance of around 100 participants in the event. As usual, this gathering was animated by an ITA Ambassador, Thais Cevada, a former international-level gymnast for Brazil. The IWF President Mohammed Jalood addressed the attendees with the opening speech, highlighting the importance of this kind of initiative to “decisively help in the reputation and credibility of our Sport”.

The IWF President Mohammed Jalood delivers the opening speech

“In the past, our doping record was a real problem for weightlifting and we were at risk of losing our presence in the Games. Today, everything changed and thanks to the very fruitful co-operation with the International Testing Agency, we are proud to say that we are a clean sport!” added Mr Jalood.

On behalf of the Organising Committee of the Championships, José Quiñones, President of the Pan-American Weightlifting Federation, also thanked the athletes and respective support personnel for their presence and support to this initiative. “Many of the future world and Olympic champions are competing these days in Lima, so the sooner you are aware of these issues, the better!”

Antonio Urso, IWF General Secretary

Antonio Urso, IWF General Secretary, then briefed the participants on a short historical summary about the origins and people behind the development and introduction of doping – “the prohibited substances were originally aimed at medical use only, but were quickly ‘deviated’ to an illicit use” -, as well as the main international scandals related with the use of these methods. “Being part of the world of Sport is a unique privilege. So, everyone involved should actively defend his/her sport. You are young athletes, you are the future of weightlifting, so please always bear in mind that performance should never be associated with medicine – performance is training, training, and training!” declared Mr Urso.

To keep lifters and respective support personnel more motivated, Sasha Sutherland (RADO’s Executive Director of the Caribbean) proposed a short game, whereby all participants, divided into two teams, had to work together to accomplish a goal. At the end of it, Ms Sutherland noted: “No matter who wins, the most important is to function and act like a team. Only together, can we achieve our goals. This is true in life and in sports”.

Thais Cevada, ITA Ambassador, during her presentation

Thais Cevada then developed her lecture, insisting on the basic topics related to anti-doping education: the definition of an anti-doping rule violation, the principle of strict liability, the risks in using supplements, the importance of reporting through dedicated and anonymous channels, and the proper verification of any medicine entering into an athlete’s body. “Never forget that as an athlete you have to get the proper information on these matters. Negligence or ignorance can never be an excuse. And if you don’t know, just ask – there are many channels and ways of getting acquainted with the necessary information,” explained Ms Cevada.  

Forrester Osei, IWF Athletes Commission Chairman

The Seminar was concluded by Forrester Osei, IWF Athletes Commission Chairman and recently appointed as IWF Competition Manipulation Ambassador. Mr Osei explained the scope of event manipulation to the attendees and emphasised an essential point for all those involved in Sport: reputation. “Once you have lost it, either because you were caught with doping, or you have been connected to competition manipulation, it is extremely complicated to get your reputation back. Be honest, always respect yourself, your opponents, and the Sport you love!”

The IWF/ITA anti-doping educational programme will continue in Peru with the set-up of a booth in the competition venue, where athletes and support personnel can find all the relevant information on this matter and are kindly invited to participate in funny quizzes to ‘test’ their knowledge. They will all leave with a small souvenir as an acknowledgment of their involvement in this important initiative.  

IWF Communications

Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia