American Samoa Doping Control Officer, Herrietta Uluiva Tafue Molesi, has been selected to represent the Oceania Region during the Asian Games set for Incheon, South Korea from Sept. 19-Oct. 4 this year.

The final confirmation was made during the recent Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) general assembly held in Guam, says J. Victor Langkilde, president of the American Samoa National Olympic Committee (ASNOC).

Molesi is also the ASNOC office manager, Langkilde told Samoa News.

Langkilde first explained that during the South Asia Regional Anti-Doping Organization (SARADO) Conference in Sri Lanka in April last year, the manager of the Doping Control Department in Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Nadiah Al Shamali, introduced the International Doping Control Officer Exchange Program.

The program is where a number of the doping control officers are selected from the Asian countries and one doping control officer from each established Regional Anti-Doping Organizations (RADOs) worldwide to take part in the sample collection process during the Asian Games, said Langkilde.

Shamali pointed out that the exchange program gives a good opportunity to the doping control officers to share and exchange knowledge and experiences and to build strong networks, Langkilde said.

Additionally, under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), there are 15 established RADOs worldwide including five on the Asian continent and one in the Oceania region.

Oceania Regional Anti-Doping Organization (ORADO) chief executive officer, Natanya Potoi-Ulia, and the ORADO unanimously nominated Molesi to the OCA based on her excellent performance, including problem solving skills and communication skills, recalled Langkilde, who attended the ONOC general assembly meeting where the final decision was made and announced.

“We at ASNOC are very proud of Ms. Molesi being selected to represent Oceania and we are proud of her accomplishments,” Langkilde said over the weekend responding to Samoa News inquiries.

Molesi started her career at ASNOC in 2011 as an Office Assistant and has traveled to New Caledonia for the Pacific Games, and numerous times to Samoa and Fiji in her role as a Doping Control Officer.

This year she has been chosen to attend a Masters Educator course in Fiji in June and will be facilitating the ORADO training for doping control officers (DCOs) along with the Potoi-Ulia and three other Lead DCOs all from Fiji after the masters educator course.