By: Nabila Essam

The Cabinet approved a bill amending various provisions of Sports Law No. 71 of 2017.

The amendments provide that the general assemblies of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, the Egyptian Paralympic Committee, sports clubs, and sports federations should set their statutes in accordance with this law and its executive regulations, the Olympic Charter, and the international standards applicable in this regard, provided that these systems include all the rules and the provisions regulating its work.

The amendments included that the sports authority is subject to financial oversight and supervision, from each of the competent administrative authority, the central administrative authority, and regulatory bodies, in accordance with the provisions of the applicable laws in this regard.

It also provided that the state guarantees the provision of real estate and spaces necessary for the establishment of sports bodies in accordance with the state's plan and needs, whether in local units or new urban communities, regardless of the party in whose jurisdiction the real estate is located.

The amendments indicated that it is prohibited for athletes to use doping substances or nutritional supplements listed in the schedule stipulated by law. It is also prohibited for coaches, certified doctors and other persons working in the field of sports to give anabolic substances or nutritional supplements to athletes, or demand them, or incite them to use or apply any of the prohibited methods in accordance with the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The amendments also specified the competencies of the Egyptian Olympic Committee to develop and strengthen the Olympic movement in Egypt, organize the Olympic sports activity in the country, represent Egypt in the Olympic, world, continental and regional tournaments for sports, and participate in supervising the preparation of the teams that the committee decides to participate in the Olympic, global, continental and regional tournaments. Choosing representatives of the Arab Republic of Egypt in these tournaments in accordance with the rules and regulations established by the International Olympic Committee and the committees of global, regional and continental tournaments, proposing representation of federations and participation in international, global, continental or regional conferences and meetings, and approval by the central administrative authority, and participating with Olympic sports federations in setting Its programs for interviews with foreign teams, whether inside or outside the Republic.

The new amendments authorized the central administrative authority and the competent administrative authority to monitor sports facilities for companies that have been issued a license to practice sports services. To ensure the application of the approved standards in security and safety procedures and services for those facilities.