Bulawayo (New Ziana)- Zimbabwe is examining draft legislation to deal with doping in sports and recreation as the use of drugs and substances in the sector, which is against the spirit of fair play, is on the increase, an official has said.

Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture permanent secretary Nicholas Moyo said this on Wednesday during a stakeholders engagement meeting to discuss sport as a tool for fighting drug and substance abuse

Doping is the act of using performance-enhancing substances in sports and is against the spirit of fair play.

“Scientific evidence backing the positive health benefits derived from sports activity include, among others, offering rehabilitation platforms for societies and individuals affected by drugs and substance abuse, prevention of several communicable and noncommunicable chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiac arrest, coronary heart and osteoporosis diseases,” said Moyo.

He applauded several initiatives being taken across the country to fight drug and substance abuse through sport.

“As a Ministry, we appreciate the whole-of-government approach of implementing programs and activities to curb drug and substance abuse. It is imperative that we hasten to appreciate the power of sport within our communities to bring peace and rebuild broken societies,” he said.

Moyo added that societal transformation and rehabilitation or recovery from drug and substance abuse entails restoring and establishing essential human principles and systems that enhance unhu/ubuntu (a philosophy that supports collectivism over individualism) to realize the national vision of becoming an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

“Progressively, the Government has rolled out a National Fitness and Wellness Programme which proffers a rehabilitation platform grounded on ease to do movement games and exercises in the National Development Strategy (NDS1),” he said.

New Ziana