BARBADIAN sports administrator Neil Murrell has been invited by the

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to be an independent observer at the Turin Winter Olympics, in Italy, from February 10 to 26.

Murrell, who is secretary of the National Anti-Doping Commission (NADC), is the only representative from the Caribbean region. He will be part of an 11-member group of observers, the others coming from Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Britain, the United States, the Seychelles and Uruguay.

"I will be observing all aspects of doping control operations before, during and after the Winter Olympics," said Murrell, deputy director of the National Sports Council.

"The objective, the reason why we have independent observers, is to promote the integrity of the doping control process and enhance the confidence of athletes, the sport and the public in the doping control process," Murrell explained.

He first became an independent observer in March 2005 which is, at the elite level of doping control, an indication that he had garnered enough expertise and operational knowledge to observe and write objective reports.

He has worked at the CARIFTA Games in Tobago, Trinidad, Grenada, and The Bahamas, and at the Central American and Caribbean Games,
as well as participated in training courses in the United States, Canada and Britain.

NADC head Dr Adrian Lorde was the first Independent observer from Barbados during the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, and was on the athlete outreach panel at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

Murrell believes it is a major step forward for the NADC.

"It is a tremendous achievement for Barbados and the NADC to have been recognised in this manner among all of the more developed regions with greater capacity in terms of doping control.

"It suggests that the work Barbados has put into the doping control process in terms of having our doping control officers accredited and used at various games throughout the region, and internationally, has been fully recognised."

Murrell said there were opportunities available in sports administration, but the people of the region just needed to be given the opportunity.