Fair play and clean competition are the real values of sport and unless these are safeguarded, sport will lose its integrity and, in the final analysis, lose its appeal. Nonetheless, sport is not immune to corruption and it faces a number of threats such as match-fixing, illegal betting and doping.

Earlier this week, the Cabinet discussed the ratification of the Conventions on doping of both UNESCO and the Council of Europe and the inclusion of the regulations of the World Anti-doping Agency in our legislation.

Doping in sport refers to the use of performance-enhancing drugs, which not only goes against the principles of fair play and equal competition but is also a threat to athletes’ health. The problem is not restricted to any particular discipline and at times includes the involvement of coaches, managers, team doctors and even sponsors. The damage is not only caused to athletes from many sporting disciplines but even to racehorses and greyhounds – a number of which have tested positive over the years.

Ancient Olympics, Tommy Simpson and the Festina Affair

Doping is not a new phenomenon – in fact, historians show that it is as old as sport itself. The ancient Olympics in Greece were riddled with corruption and doping, to the extent that the Games had to be dissolved. However, in more recent times, the first real alarm in international competitions was sounded in 1967. The televised death of cyclist Tommy Simpson, who was competing in the Tour de France while under the influence of amphetamines, shocked millions.

In 1998 another big scandal – once again in cycling – broke and yet again was connected to the Tour de France. It eventually became known as ‘The Festina Affair’ and it unearthed several doping scandals and resulted in startling confessions by cyclists who admitted to having taken illegal stimulants during and after that year’s Tour de France. The affair came to light when a large haul of doping products was found in the car belonging to a member of the Festina cycling team just before the start of the race and it led to the re-opening of another case involving the Dutch TVM cycling team. The affair highlighted a systematic widespread network of doping practices involving many teams, and following the arrest of several people involved in the scandal, the reputation of cycling as a whole suffered from the negative publicity.

The setting of the World Anti Doping Agency

Faced with this crisis, the International Olympic Committee did not remain idle and convened a world conference on doping that brought together all the interested parties, including EU member states and the European Commission. The Conference, held in Lausanne in February 1999, agreed on the ‘Lausanne Declaration on Doping in Sport’, which provided for the creation of a private and independent anti-doping agency under Swiss law which had to become fully operative during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The WADA Code

Thus the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was created, with the specific aim of cleaning up sport from doping through an accepted code. The purpose of this code was to harmonise anti-doping regulations and standards and ensure a consistent global approach. Today, 570 sports organisations, including all international federations of Olympic sport, are signatories to the WADA Code, which means that they accept, implement and enforce its principles. It is one of the most significant achievements in the fight against doping, as is evidenced by the support it receives from governments and sports organisations worldwide.

The scope, purpose and concept of the WADA Code is to protect the athletes’ fundamental right to participate in doping-free sport and thus promote health, fairness and equality for athletes worldwide; and to ensure harmonised and effective anti-doping programmes at national and international level with regard to the detection, deterrence and prevention of doping.

Malta’s efforts

regarding anti-doping

In 1994, Malta signed the Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention (1989), signed a further protocol in Warsaw in 2002 and became a signatory to the World Anti-doping Code of WADA in 2004. The Kunsill Malti Ghall-Isport is now recognised as the National Anti-Doping Organisation and as such it is to adopt and implement anti-doping rules in line with this Code. It is to facilitate doping controls and to provide anti-doping education to athletes and members of the sporting community. Malta will also adopt the 2005 UNESCO global anti-doping convention, The International Convention against Doping in Sport.

We believe it is our duty, as legislators, officials and athletes, to encourage the real values of sport – fair play and clean competition. Doping damages the integrity of sport – it is simply another form of cheating and spoils it for everyone.