Sri Lanka Anti Doping Agency is seven years today
The Sri Lanka Anti Doping Agency (SLADA), one of the foremost institutions that functions to prevent doping from sports and create awareness on banned substances in Sri Lanka, marks its seventh anniversary today.
Functioning as a statutory board, under the Ministry of Rural Infrastructure and School Sports Improvement, SLADA was established through an Act of Parliament as indicated in No. 33, Section 3 of the Convention against Doping on November 15, 2013.
The prime objective of SLADA is to eradicate the use of prohibited substances by athletes and the promotion of clean sports. SLADA also works in collaboration with international anti- doping organisations that function to prevent doping in the global sporting arena.
SLADA is now independently housed at a four- storied building with state- of-the-art facilities at 363/12 Sugathadasa National Sports Complex, Block D, Stadium Parking Road on Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha, Colombo 14. This has enabled the institution to expand and serve more effectively.
One of the main targets of SLADA is to establish an intelligence and investigation unit by working in collaboration with government departments such as the customs, immigration, departments, border forces, Police Narcotics Bureau and National Medicines Regulatory Authority which will assist to prevent illicit drugs from entering into this country.
Another target is to include a study on anti-doping into the school curriculum. This is with the view to create an effective dope-free sports environment by educating the school children on ill effects of banned substances. Discussions in this connection are underway with the National Institute of Education to achieve this.
SLADA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Australian Anti Doping Agency and are working in collaboration with them and getting their assistance and know-how in sectors like dope control testing, intelligence and investigation.
"Within a period of seven years the Sri Lanka Anti Doping Agency has made a major contribution to the country by providing a very successful service to support the sports sector in combating doping in sports in Sri Lanka and is firm in its commitment to creating a dope-free environment in sports in the country," stated Dr Seevali Jayawickreme, the Director General of SLADA.
Another major achievement of SLADA is the setting up of a Research Unit in 2017 to international standards. The Research Unit equipped with a laboratory containing the most modern facilities works in collaboration with the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, National Ayurveda Medicine Unit and also the major conventional Universities in Sri Lanka.
The Research Unit is equipped with the latest Liquid Chomatography Tandem Spectrometer, for the detection of prohibited drugs in sports. The Unit mainly focuses on the banned substances that are contained in natural products and conduct research related to anti- doping focussing mainly on traditional herbal preparations to avoid unintentional doping of athletes. The Research Unit has also made few publications on its research work.