The swimmer Habiba Belghith won the bronze medal of the 100 m breaststroke at the African swimming championships which are currently taking place in Luanda in Angola. However, despite his victory, the Tunisian flag was not hoisted during the medal ceremony, due to the AMA sanctions against Tunisia.
The swimmer Habiba Belghith won the bronze medal of the 100 m breaststroke at the African swimming championships which are currently taking place in Luanda in Angola in 01:13:15.
Despite her victory, the Tunisian swimmer attended, without moving, a ceremony of presentation of the medals during which the Tunisian flag remained at half mast. The un hrised Tunisian flag, the explanation is due to the fact that Tunisia is under the ability of the World Anti -Doping Agency (AMA).
It is the first time in the history of Tunisian sport that the national flag is withdrawn during an international competition. In addition, the Tunisian flag will not be lifted or the national anthem played during this competition in the event of the victory of a Tunisian swimmer for the gold medal.
These sanctions were imposed due to the non-compliance by the Tunisian sports authorities of the World Anti-Doping Code. Under the AMA decision, Tunisia will not be allowed to organize regional, continental or global competitions in any sports discipline.
Likewise, the Tunisian flag will not be hoisted during the next Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris during the summer of 2024, as long as Tunisia does not comply with AMA standards.
These sanctions are final and with “immediate effect”, according to the press release published by the AMA this week, which criticizes Tunisia “its inability to fully implement the 2021 version of the World Anti -Doping Code within its legal system”.
Indeed, Tunisia had four months, from last November, to adopt a certain number of modifications to the legislative and regulatory texts to comply with the code of the Tunisian legal framework. Something that was obviously not done.
In November 2023, when the AMA had sent a correspondence to Tunisia warning him of any sanctions, the spokesman for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Chokri Hamda, said that it was only advice so that Tunisia complies with the new amendments of the agency.
The manager had insisted that the AMA correspondence is a routine act and all that the press has peddled as sanctions are ultimately only advice addressed to the Tunisian part to comply with the World Anti -Doping Code.
In addition to the sanctions mentioned above and of which Chokri Hamda had refuted the enforceable nature, the Tunisian National Anti-Doping Agency (ANAD) will lose its AMA privileges, until the stated reintegration conditions are met.
Its representatives will no longer have the right to be eligible for occupying a position within the AMA and will no longer be able to participate in any event organized by the World Anti -Doping Agency.
Anad will not be eligible to host any event hosted or organized or co-organized by the AMA. It will not receive any funding from the AMA (directly or indirectly) linked to the development of specific activities or participation in specific programs.
