Olivier Niggli: “WADA is a supporter for young athletes and a guarantor of fair play”

On June 1, the Director General of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) took part in the work of the International Forum of Young Olympians. Olivier Niggli visited the educational platforms of the Forum, studied the infrastructure of the Sport’s Technologies Center of the Moscow City Department for the Physical Culture and Sport (Moskomsport), where the Forum was held, and during the panel discussion told young athletes about the principles of Fair Play.

“First of all, many thanks to the Russian Olympic Committee for the invitation,” Olivier Niggli said. “It is a great honor for me to be among the participants of such a large anti-doping event and speak to young Olympians. They are the future of the world sport, and we will certainly provide them with the necessary support. WADA is not a scourge for athletes, but a supporter and a guarantor of fair play.

In March this year, at the XV WADA Symposium, one question was asked to its delegates: “What is the key element of the anti-doping programs?” The vast majority said that it was education. Indeed, it is education that is the main condition for the effective combat against doping.

The initiative of the Russian Olympic Committee to hold the International Forum of Young Olympians allowed the much-needed anti-doping signal to be given to the guys who soon take on the 15th Summer European Youth Olympics Festival in Baku and the 3rd Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne.

WADA highly appreciates the efforts of the Russian Olympic Committee and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) to combat negative phenomena in sports.”