BLOG: Ali Jawad - "Athletes must unite for #NoUturnWADA"

2018

UK Anti-Doping Athlete Commission member, Ali Jawad, has been a passionate advocate of clean sport throughout his powerlifting career, and has represented UKAD at a number of events, voicing his opinion and supporting clean sport.

Now, ahead of an important WADA meeting next week which could have significant implications for clean sport, he wants to make sure you do the same.

Throughout my career, clean sport has underpinned everything. Everything I do, everything I want my colleagues and competitors to do. Competing cleanly and fairly is the foundation of sport, maintaining its integrity and the reason millions of people around the world love it.

This is why next week’s WADA vote on 20 September is so important. They must get it right, and it’s up to us, as athletes and fans, to make sure our voices are heard.

WADA set out a Roadmap for Russia, which outlined 12 criteria it would need to meet before it could be deemed compliant. All of these conditions have not been met.

Despite this, WADA’s Executive Committee will next Thursday be voting on whether to deem RUSADA compliant with the Code.

Here are three reasons why you should care about the vote on 20 September:

  1. We must not tolerate cheating

WADA’s remit is to protect clean sport and the foundations upon which sporting integrity is built, but reinstatement of RUSADA would send a clear message that cheating is tolerated and those caught do not have to fulfil sanctions.

  1. We must be able to trust the system

The message that reinstatement at this stage would send to athletes and sports fans means anti-doping would lose all credibility. There would be no trust in the system or its processes. This is the biggest threat to anti-doping as a whole, that we have ever known. If WADA ignores its own rules, the fight for clean sport is lost. There will be no going back.

  1. We must unite

This has provided athletes across the globe with an opportunity to unite and be one collective voice. As fierce competitors, we have the chance to send a strong, united message to WADA and demand justice. We will not stand for this. #noUturnWADA

As an athlete who believes in the true spirit of competition, we need your support to make all our voices heard.

Join us and get behind #NoUturnWADA.