It happens more than we care to admit. You find a headline about some big doping scandal, about an athlete who has taken performance-enhancing drugs to get ahead of the competition, only to find that you recognise the athlete’s name. For many, it’s a source of shame - one that the Egyptian Anti-Doping Organization is cracking down on in coordination with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

As part of a memorandum of understanding between the two organisations, the Egyptian Anti-Doping Organization drafted the first Arabicized version of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s ‘Anti-Doping Code Prohibited Items and Methods’ list for 2022. It’s the first time the WADA has adopted an Arabic version of its list in its 22-year history.

The Prohibited List details all the performance-enhancing drugs or substances that have been banned across the globe, with notes on substances that are still under observation to make sure athletes are able to make informed choices and abstain when appropriate. The list will be distributed to all gyms, fitness centres and other relevant facilities to raise as much awareness as possible.

The WADA’s board of directors will pay Cairo a visit for the first time in May 2022, demonstrating Egypt’s growing presence in the global anti-doping movement.