Seminar advocates for health and Fair Play 

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, September 30, 2010- A Medical Seminar to Certificate Anti-Doping Officers began on Wednesday here under the organization of the FIVB Regional Development Center in Dominican Republic.

The seminar is carried out under the concept of “health for the human beings” and raising the “fair play” motto.

Representatives of different countries of NORCECA Confederation are taking part of the educational course lectured by American experts Theresa Reynolds and LaDonna Faye Reed, executive members of the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).

“The first objective is to protect the human and then attain the fair play,” said Reynolds, who remarked the initiative taken by Volleyball to include in its working agenda this and several similar events for the immediate future.

Mr. Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz, President of NORCECA and First Executive Vice President of FIVB, underlined that Volleyball was the first 100 percent signatory of the WADA protocol in its policy of controlling banned substances.

“This issue merits a lot of education and we have understood that after the health of the human being is very important to guarantee equal conditions during the competitions,” said Marte Hoffiz, remarking that only seven sport disciplines in the world totally comply with the WADA protocol.

Dr. Milton Pinedo, President of the Pan American Commission of Sport Medicine, referred to the vanguard conduct of Volleyball in the controversial issue of the doping and also adding that “is more worth one educational event than one thousand of tests to detect the use of banned substances”.

Nelson Ramirez, director of the FIVB Development Center in Dominican Republic, remarked the enthusiasm showed by the national and foreign community by participating in the seminar and announced that for 2011 two more courses are in the program of the center.