WADA’s Athlete Engagement team champions clean sport values at African Youth Games

This week, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) Athlete Engagement (AE) team is in Luanda, Angola, to promote clean sport during the fourth edition of the African Youth Games (Angola 2025).   

WADA’s AE team is on site for most of Angola 2025, which runs from 10-20 December. Organized by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Angola 2025 features more than 2000 athletes between the ages of 14 and 17, representing 45 ANOCA member countries and competing across 33 sports. 

Director of WADA’s Africa Office, Rodney Swigelaar, said: “WADA’s Athlete Engagement program creates important opportunities for dialogue while also building direct relationships with athletes in Africa and around the world. WADA is grateful to the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa for the opportunity to deliver our program during the African Youth Games, as well as their on-going support for clean sport initiatives. I also take this opportunity to note WADA’s appreciation for its partnership with SuperSport, which, over the past three years, has elevated the clean sport message in Africa, including here at the African Youth Games.”  

Gaby Ahrens, the Vice-Chair of WADA’s Athlete Council and Chair of the ANOCA Athletes’ Commission, emphasized the importance of continuing to connect with youth athletes in Africa, especially with the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games less than a year away. 

She said: “The future leaders of African sport are participating in this edition of the African Youth Games, so it was important for members of the ANOCA Athletes’ Commission, among others, to team up with WADA’s Athlete Engagement team to ensure that the participants can connect with their role models and feel comfortable asking important questions about anti-doping. This event represents a valuable opportunity to speak directly to the next generation, and our hope is that their conversations with the Athlete Engagement team will positively impact their careers, now and in the months and years ahead.”

The athlete-led team includes:    

• Sally Faissal Abdourahman (Djibouti), ANOCA Athlete Commission member and Olympian judoka; 
• Kossi Medard Nayo (Togo), ANOCA Athlete Commission member and sprinter  
• Edson Marcelo Da Silva Maderia (Mozambique), Vice President of the Mozambique National Olympic Committee’s Athlete Commission and Olympian judoka;  
• Husnah Kukundakwe (Uganda), member of the International Paralympic Committee and Uganda National Olympic Committee Athletes Commissions and paralympic swimmer; and 
• Nathalie Bakome (South Africa), WADA Africa Office Manager. 

  Mr.  Madiera was particularly inspired to play a role in the AE team’s initiative, having experienced the African Games as an athlete himself. He said: “The wonderful memories I have from engaging with WADA at the African Games and at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were something I reflected on when I received the invitation to join WADA’s AE program at the Africa Youth Games. It means a lot to have the opportunity to give back to today’s youth athletes, impart some of the lessons we learned and champion clean sport values with the participants here in Angola.” 

The AE program aims to raise clean sport awareness and to promote the importance of being ‘One Play True Team’. The program also includes a legacy aspect thanks to the banners and promotional resources that will be left behind with the Comité Olímpico Angolano (National Olympic Committee also fulfilling the responsibility of their country’s National Anti-Doping Organization) to be used for future engagement activities in the country.