By Dugout Philippines
SINGAPORE--The 18th ASEAN University Games (AUG) Organizing Committee signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Southeast Asia Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (SEARADO) on Monday, marking the first step by the AUG Organizing Committee towards promoting the true spirit and values of sports to college-level athletes in the region.
The agreement is part of a broader vision by ASEAN member states to encourage a culture of clean sports in the ASEAN region, starting with awareness building and values education at inter-university and inter-schools competitions.
As part of the agreement, SEARADO will be conducting a series of educational workshops during the AUG for the participating athletes to gain more awareness about anti-doping regulations.
The MOU was signed by Chairman of the 18th AUG Organizing Committee, Dr Tan Eng Liang and SEARADO Chairman Dr Patrick Goh at Singapore Management University, witnessed by representatives of the six member universities of the Singapore University Sports Council.
In announcing the MOU, Dr Tan Eng Liang said, "This will be the 3rd time Singapore is playing host to this biennial competition. We have every intention to make this a very memorable Games for everyone–participants, officials, volunteers and the rest of the ASEAN community. The team has been working very hard since 2013, putting together a very tight budget, deploying all the various teams to drive the many functional areas, and engaging different sectors of the community. I have every confidence that this will be a successful AUG. The AUG has always been about developing our younger athletes, not just in pursuing excellence in the chosen sports but also in personifying the spirit of the Games which includes values such as integrity, sportsmanship, respect, humility and fairness. This is the reason why we are signing a MOU with SEARADO today. This partnership will ensure that we instill the right values in our athletes not just in sports but in life.
There is no legal short cut or quick fix to getting ahead in sports. One must work hard, really hard to achieve the desired outcome.
It is our responsibility to educate our students so that they will do the right thing in any given situation."
Added SEARADO Chairman Dr Patrick Goh, "SEARADO's mission is to promote and coordinate the fight against doping in sports in South East Asia. This MOU provide the framework for SEARADO to assist the AUG Organizing Committee in ensuring that the Asean University Games' anti-doping program and practices are consistent with standards contained in the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards. We are extremely pleased that the AUSC is committed to clean sport, and is willing to put its resources into protecting clean athletes."
In essence, the agreement provides independence and consistency to the development of a management plan for Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) applications and Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) or other Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) requiring Results Management for the 18th AUG.
The 18th AUG will be held in Singapore from July 10-19, where some 1,600 student athletes from 11 Southeast Asian nations will compete for top honors in 16 sports.
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