Sharing the values of fair play in sport

One of the most satisfying aspects of her job, says Natanya Potoi-Ulia, is "seeing the people you have trained becoming trainers themselves".

As the administrator of Oceania’s Regional Anti-Doping Organization (RADO) based in Fiji Islands, Ms Potoi-Ulia of Samoa provides education and doping control services for sportsmen and women in Fiji Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands.

Posted there for three years through the CFTC in May 2006, Ms Potoi-Ulia has found that levels of anti-doping awareness vary widely among Pacific Island countries – for some, the message is ‘new and foreign’. As well as helping to set up national anti-doping organisations and accredit doping control officers, she co-ordinates events to bring the anti-doping message to athletes and the public.

Ms Potoi-Ulia is based in the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) Secretariat in Suva, Fiji Islands. "Having such a great working relationship with my ONOC colleagues has not only helped me to work better, but also contributed to the development of the Oceania RADO", she comments.

The RADO offers presentations for athletes, coaches and support staff on topics including the basics – such as What Is Doping? and Why Do Athletes Dope?, information on rights and responsibilities, and a list of prohibited substances and methods. Its website offers detailed guidance for athletes, including the adverse effects of drug abuse.

Meanwhile, the RADO engages sports ambassadors from the Pacific Islands Forum countries, who advocate on three areas: anti-doping, HIV/AIDS awareness, and the rights and responsibilities of athletes under the message: ‘Be a leader. Play safe. Play true’. Under the Voices of the Athletes programme, these athlete ambassadors serve as role models to inform and educate other sportspeople on the three advocacy areas.

A rugby player, a hockey player, a competitive swimmer and an athlete from the Pacific Islands are involved in this public awareness project.

"If you know it’s wrong, don’t do it. It doesn’t help you or your family … you are bound to get caught one day", says Seru Rabeni,the rugby union player known as the ‘Flying Fijian’.

To accompany its awareness programmes, the RADO carries out drugs testing, in accordance with international standards. Eight doping control officers are now accredited in the region – two each in Fiji Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga.

Progress can, at times, be slow – ‘because anti-doping is new and foreign to most of the Pacific countries, the communication and time required to develop and implement a certain process is a real challenge’, explains Ms Potoi-Ulia.

Yet she remains undaunted. To boost the RADO’s capacity, Ms Potoi-Ulia has undertaken training in sports administration, report writing and events management.

She believes that the CFTC’s involvement has provided a springboard for the anti-doping effort in the region, which often lacks resources: "The CFTC has enabled me to initiate and develop the anti-doping programme in the region. I have also had the opportunity to work with counterparts on projects, specifically anti-doping education programmes. This has allowed me to think creatively about ways to develop resources that are more relevant to the different groups – community, national and international athletes – in the region", says Ms Potoi-Ulia.

Secretariat Links:

• CFTC

Related Websites:

• Oceania National Olympic Committees
• RADO Oceania