By Zjan Shirinian

Gideon Sam, President of the the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, has said he is showing his commitment to the "integrity of sport" by running the half marathon ©Getty Images February 26 - The President of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) will be doing his bit in support of drugs-free sport by donning his running shoes for a half marathon in Cape Town.


Gideon Sam will run for the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport's (SAIDS), I Play Fair team.

That team will hit the roads of Cape Town on April 19 for the Old Mutual Two Oceans half marathon.

I Play Fair is SAIDS' education campaign on saying no to doping, and aims to establish a culture of fair play in sport.

Since 2012, the Institute has entered a number of celebrity teams into events to raise awareness of its cause.

President Sam said: "As part of SASCOC's commitment to promote high performance in sport, I've taken it upon myself to get out of the office and show my commitment to the integrity of sport by leading the I Play Fair team.

"I'm doing the Two Oceans half marathon as part of a resolution to maintain a healthy-living lifestyle and to campaign for sport, free of drugs.

"I'm hoping my participation will encourage other sports executives to do the same."

The half-marathon is being run for the 45th time, and the Institute will announce other celebrity runners taking part in the coming weeks.

Khalid Galant, SAIDS chief executive, says: "We're honoured by Mr Sam's commitment to run for our team as this is a great example of sports leadership embodying the spirit of sport to encompass wellness and fitness."

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